BETA Technologies Delivers First Electric Aircraft ALIA CX300

The skies over Scandinavia have a new, quieter presence. Vermont-based BETA Technologies has delivered its first electric short take-off and landing aircraft, the ALIA CX300, to Bristow Norway AS, part of US helicopter giant Bristow Group.

This six-seat, high-capability aircraft can travel more than 555 kilometres on a single charge, offering a zero-emission alternative in regions with heavy air traffic and strong green transition goals. Unlike its vertical take-off sibling, the A250, the CX300 requires a runway. It seats five passengers and one pilot, powered by an electric motor driving a five-blade pusher propeller at the rear. Charging takes about an hour.

The model made headlines only months ago when it completed passenger flights from Long Island to John F. Kennedy International Airport in just 45 minutes. Now, the CX300 has arrived at Stavanger Airport in Norway’s Rogaland County, concluding a 6,976-kilometre demonstration tour through seven EU countries that began in Ireland. The event also marks the official launch of Norway’s zero- and low-emission aviation test platform.

At the handover, a Bristow pilot — trained at BETA’s Vermont headquarters — took the CX300 on its first test flight. Over the next six months, the plan is to conduct a series of trial and demonstration flights in cooperation with Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority. This is part of a “regulatory sandbox” project to assess both technical capabilities and potential commercial use cases.

Initial routes will connect Stavanger and Bergen, with more lines expected by the end of the year. The trials will test whether quiet, emission-free air travel can reshape regional aviation in the Nordics despite the challenges of weather and logistics.