Aviation services company Blade Air Mobility has teamed up with next generation sustainable ALIA-250 aircraft developer BETA Technologies to undertake the first test flight of an electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) plane in the greater NYC area.

The trial involved BETA’s ALIA-250 eVTOL craft flying above the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, accompanied by a helicopter from Blade’s fleet of charter aircraft. For its second pass over the facility, the ALIA-250 flew the loop solo as a means of giving people on the ground an idea of just how much quieter the battery-powered craft is compared to choppers – about one-tenth the noise, according to BETA.

That reduced racket, in addition to zero-carbon emissions of eVTOL craft, is a major reason why Blade has already announced its intention to buy up to 20 of BETA’s first passenger-configured ALIA-250 planes when they obtain Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. 

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Source: dronedj.com