The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted US aerospace and defense company BETA Technologies a first-of-its-kind authorization to conduct flights with prospective customers aboard its electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, marking a significant step toward commercial operations.

The approval, granted under a Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys, allows the aerospace and defence company to demonstrate its ALIA A250 aircraft to prospective operators and other participants. It also expands the geographic scope of the company’s flight operations.

The authorization comes after a safety review by FAA experts and represents a step toward commercial deployment, although the aircraft has not yet received full type certification for routine commercial service.

BETA completed its first flight under the new authorization on October 20, traveling 34 nautical miles (39 miles) in 20 minutes.

The ALIA A250 departed Plattsburgh International Airport in New York, taking off vertically before transitioning to conventional wing-borne flight. It then landed vertically at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in Vermont.

Designed to operate with or without runway access, the aircraft can potentially support passenger transportation, cargo delivery, medical services and defense operations. It features dual pilot controls and is designed to carry up to five passengers or more than 1,200 pounds of cargo.

According to BETA, the A250 shares several major systems with its conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft, including electric propulsion, flight control computers, batteries and charging infrastructure.

The common architecture allows the company to apply operational experience and technical improvements across both aircraft.

BETA said its CTOL and VTOL aircraft have accumulated more than 250,000 nautical miles of combined flight experience.

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