FLYING Magazine
Electric aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies is in “discussions on larger platforms” with operators, Simon Newitt, the company’s global head of sales and support, told FLYING.
“We’re discussing with and listening to those operators as to what they want, and if they’re interested in larger platforms, that’s just good information for us as we consider our product strategy and roadmap as we go forward,” Newitt said.
Air New Zealand has reportedly asked Beta to design a higher-capacity electric aircraft than its Alia CX300—which seats five passengers plus a pilot—according to a recent interview by New Zealand-based online media outlet Newsroom with Nikhil Ravishankar, CEO of Air New Zealand.
The firms’ agreement covers one firm CX300 order, two options, and rights for a further 20 aircraft, for a total of 23.
Newsroom reported that the airline asked Beta to design a “larger-format” electric aircraft because it believes Alia is too small to make the economics of regional electric service work.
Ravishankar said he does not believe a “pure electric aircraft is going to replace a [Boeing] 787 Dreamliner any time soon.” He added that “just because [decarbonization is] hard doesn’t mean you shelve it,” signaling the carrier’s continued ambitions for more sustainable service.
Newitt neither confirmed nor denied Air New Zealand’s reported request. But he said that the CX300 was never intended to replace an aircraft as large as the Dreamliner. He said the five-passenger Alia does “not necessarily” have “no room or no place.”
“It’s obvious that a large airline like Air New Zealand would be wanting to look at something larger,” Newitt said. “They operate Dash 8s. They have an aging fleet. They have all that regional connectivity that New Zealand requires for their transportation.”
He emphasized that Beta will respond to the market and needs of its customers regarding size and other aspects. The company has conducted extensive flying with precertified Alia aircraft under market survey programs, racking up nearly 200,000 nm through testing and demonstrations and gathering feedback.
Newitt said existing electric propulsion technology is “supporting a specific category and size of aircraft, but all of that technology is scalable.” According to Beta’s initial public offering (IPO) filing last year, the company is in the “development phase” for a larger, 19-seat model, with no timeline yet for certification.
“We believe this product will further expand our market share by creating new opportunities for operators to realize the benefits of electric aviation in large aircraft,” the S-1 filing reads.
Beta continues to identify Air New Zealand as a commercial civil aircraft customer and launch operator for the CX300, according to its most recent annual report in March. The report added that Beta works with the carrier to “design systems for the safe, efficient transportation of passengers.” It plans to pursue Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand validation of Alia’s FAA type certification.
Mission Next Gen
Due to lengthy development and certification timelines, several firms originally focused on fielding all-electric passenger airliners have switched to hybrid propulsion systems, pivoted to defense applications, scaled back their workforces, or gone bankrupt.
Beta is concurrently developing hybrid-electric propulsion in partnership with GE Aerospace. Its U.S. customers include Republic Airways, Metro Aviation, and Surf Air Mobility. In July, Loganair signed a term sheet for five CX300s and five options.
Setbacks have hampered Air New Zealand’s “Mission Next Gen Aircraft” initiative, which seeks to replace its domestic fleet of de Havilland Dash 8 regional turboprops with more eco-friendly alternatives. The carrier has been hiking fairs amid a jet fuel crisis spurred by U.S. military intervention in the Middle East.
Last year, the airline lowered its 2030 emissions reduction target. It is now targeting a 20 to 25 percent reduction in “well-to-wake” jet fuel net emissions rather than a 16.3 percent reduction in absolute emissions.
“Generally, the progress around next-generation aircraft, or different engine type aircrafts, is not progressing at the speed it was a few years ago,” said Kiri Hannifin, chief sustainability officer for Air New Zealand, in a January 2025 interview with Newsroom.
Air New Zealand announced Alia as its first Mission Next Gen Aircraft in 2023. The carrier said Alia would join its fleet by 2026 and initially fly a cargo-only service with New Zealand Post (NZ Post), eyeing routes about 150 kilometers in length.
Greg Foran, Air New Zealand’s CEO at the time, clarified that Alia would “add to, not replace our existing fleet.”
However, Foran said by “flying the ALIA, we hope to advance our knowledge and the transformation needed in the aviation system in [New Zealand] for us to fly larger, fleet replacing, next generation aircraft from 2030.”
The airline in 2024 picked Wellington Airport (NZWN) as its base for the CX300, with plans for commercial demonstrator flights with NZ Post between Wellington and Marlborough Airport (NZWB) in 2026.
Air New Zealand faces delays to its partnership with Airbus to build a 100-seat, hydrogen-powered airliner. The partners in 2021 agreed to study potential hydrogen-powered operations within Air New Zealand’s network. The collaboration further includes ATR, Heart Aerospace, and Embraer. But Universal Hydrogen, the partner responsible for developing hydrogen retrofit kits for the Dash 8, ceased operations in 2024.
Airbus’ own hydrogen ambitions have faced setbacks, with the carrier last year delaying its timeline for introducing a hydrogen-powered model.
Air New Zealand has also explored aircraft from VoltAero and Eviation, placing an order for up to 23 of the latter’s all-electric Alice in 2022. Eviation last year halted Alice’s development.
Finding a Fit
In February, Air New Zealand and Beta completed a four-month Alia test campaign that comprised more than 100 flights spanning 13,000 kilometers and 12 airfields. Two Air New Zealand pilots participated.
The carrier said the campaign included New Zealand’s first low-emissions IFR operation. The airline said Alia flew between Wellington and Blenheim using only about $20 of electricity compared to about $110 in fuel costs for a Cessna Caravan.
The aircraft was on lease and was returned to Beta following the campaign.
Newitt called the exercise a “remarkable success” and emphasized that it informed the product roadmap for both companies.
“The objective of that exercise was learnings,” he said. “Learnings on both sides, not just one-sided assessments…This was a great way to identify where could [Alia] fit into their operation, where could it work in terms of passenger or cargo.”
He added that Air New Zealand will be “looking to see who’s going to be developing larger platforms over time” and framed the campaign as an early element of the partnership.
“We know that this sub-100-seat market has been in decline for quite some time,” he said. “If this technology that we’re developing can provide an economic proposition that works, then, of course, we’re going to be responding to that.”