The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Wednesday that it has authorized Beta Technologies to bring potential customers on demonstration flights of its aircraft — a milestone that the company is the first to reach in the competitive and emerging electric-aviation field. The novel Spec ial Airworthiness Market Survey Certificate was granted for Alia, Beta’s electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft.  Beta conducted its first flight under this certification on Tuesday when an Alia was flown from Plattsburgh International Airport across Lake Champlain to the Burlington International Airport, according to the company. An unnamed spokesperson said in a statement that the company would soon be flying with “operators and key stakeholders so they can experience the aircraft firsthand.” The approval marks another step toward full FAA certification for Beta’s planes. Beta was chosen for a series of flight tests approved in March.  “This authorization brings vertical flight closer to the people and places that will put it to work, building on BETA’s track record of industry firsts,” Beta CEO Kyle Clark said in a press release.  “Incredible things are happening in aviation thanks to President Trump and his commitment to innovation,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a press release. “The FAA’s special airworthiness certification of BETA’s A250 aircraft is another critical step towards enabling the future of flight in America.” A Beta spokesperson recently told Seven Days that the company expects initial federal certification for individual components of its aircraft next year and full certification of its eVTOL aircraft in 2028. The company is preparing for a major expansion of its manufacturing facilities in South Burlington, where it’s primarily based, and potentially in North Carolina.  Beta continues to benefit from a good working relationship with the federal government and U.S. military. Duffy paid a visit to Clark and the company in May. In June, the aircraft maker unveiled an autonomous electric cargo plane intended for military use. Clark expects multiple branches of the military to eventually make use of Beta’s electric aircraft. The post Beta Wins FAA Approval for Taking Potential Customers on Flights appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less