Loganair Adds BETA Technologies ALIA CTOL Aircraft to Its Fleet, Following Successful Demonstrations in United Kingdom
Loganair, the United Kingdom’s largest regional airline, and BETA Technologies (NYSE: BETA) (“BETA”) today announced at the Farnborough International Airshow the signing of a term sheet under which Loganair will purchase five all-electric ALIA conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) (CX300) aircraft, with options for five more.
The UK, and Scotland in particular, is a natural first market for commercial electric flight. Across the country, island and remote communities depend on short routes that road and rail cannot serve, making regional air service critical infrastructure. Most of Loganair's regional sectors are under 100 miles, squarely within the CX300's mission profile. The aircraft operates from existing runways and recharges in 20 to 40 minutes using BETA's fast-charging systems.
Marking a significant step towards bringing electric aviation into commercial routes across the UK, the move will ensure Loganair becomes Europe's first commercial airline operating an electric aircraft fleet.
The agreement builds on the UK’s first electric flight demonstration programme completed in March, when BETA’s CTOL flew 23 flights in 10 days across Loganair’s network, connecting Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Wick and Kirkwall. The aircraft covered more than 1,000 nautical miles in real-world operational conditions, flying routes to some of Scotland’s most remote communities and validating performance, ground handling, charging and integration into existing airport and airspace systems, and demonstrating a model for short regional routes across the UK.
