Beta Technologies 超越 Joby 和 Archer，率先获得 FAA eVTOL 市场调查证书

Beta Technologies has received a first-of-its-kind FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys covering its ALIA A250 electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, beating Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation to the milestone. The approval lets Beta fly prospective customers on demonstration flights and expands its operating area. Its first flight under the authority, on Oct. 20, covered 34 nautical miles from Plattsburgh, New York, to Burlington, Vermont, in 20 minutes. The certificate is not full type certification, so public passenger service remains barred. Beta, which was selected for seven of eight federal eIPP projects, holds about $1.5 billion in cash and a market value above $4 billion while still posting steep losses.

Beta Technologies has become the first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer to win FAA authorization to fly prospective customers aboard its aircraft, edging past better-known rivals Joby Aviation (JOBY) and Archer Aviation (ACHR) in the race to bring electric air taxis to the U.S. market.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it granted the Burlington, Vermont-based company a Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys covering its ALIA A250 aircraft. The approval followed a safety review by agency experts and widens the geographic area in which Beta may conduct flight operations.

The company flew its first mission under the new authority on Oct. 20, lifting off vertically from Plattsburgh International Airport in New York, transitioning to wing-borne flight, and touching down vertically at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in Vermont. The trip covered 34 nautical miles, or about 39 miles, in 20 minutes.

What the certificate does and does not permit is central to how investors should read the news. It allows Beta to take potential operators and other participants on demonstration flights so they can evaluate how the aircraft might fit their operations - a delivery company examining cargo capacity, for instance, or a medical service weighing evacuation use. It does not constitute FAA type certification, the agency's formal finding that an aircraft's design meets safety standards. Without that designation, Beta cannot sell passenger tickets to the public, and its prospective customers cannot put the A250 into commercial service today.

"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," said Kyle Clark, the company's founder and chief executive.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford framed the move as part of a broader effort to fold advanced air mobility into the national airspace without loosening safety requirements. "The FAA is committed to working with American innovators to safely integrate these new aircraft into our national airspace, while maintaining the rigorous safety standards that have made the United States a global leader in aviation," he said.

The ALIA A250 is designed to operate with or without runway access and carries dual pilot controls, with capacity for up to five passengers or more than 1,200 pounds of cargo. Beta says the aircraft shares electric propulsion, flight control computers, batteries and charging infrastructure with its conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft, an architecture that lets engineering gains and operating experience flow between the two programs. The company reports that its CTOL and VTOL fleets have together logged more than 250,000 nautical miles of flight. Beta previously secured market-survey authorization for its CTOL aircraft and completed its first crewed electric VTOL transition flight in 2024.

The milestone lands amid a push from Washington to speed testing of next-generation aircraft. In March, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which pairs manufacturers, operators and government partners across eight projects spanning 28 states. The work covers urban air taxis, regional passenger service, cargo networks, emergency medical response, autonomous flight and offshore transportation. Beta was selected for seven of the eight projects, more than any competitor, while Joby took part in five and Archer in three.

Note: Cash and market-capitalization figures reflect the most recent disclosures cited in press coverage of the authorization.

The commercial path remains long and expensive. Beta must still clear full type certification before routine passenger operations, a process that has consumed years and large sums at every eVTOL developer. The company also has yet to announce acquisition or partnership deals comparable to those outlined by Joby and Archer, which have said they intend to buy businesses capable of adding meaningful annual revenue. Beta ended June with roughly $1.5 billion in cash, a substantial cushion but one that will be drawn down steadily until a real revenue stream arrives.

For the stock, the authorization offers a concrete catalyst after a difficult stretch. Beta shares have lost about half their value since the company's public debut last fall, and the equity carries a valuation above $4 billion despite steep losses and minimal sales. The certificate broadens the company's ability to put the aircraft in front of buyers and convert interest into orders, but it does not resolve the central question of whether Beta can certify, manufacture and sell its aircraft at a profit.

The wider eVTOL sector has been volatile in 2026 as investors weigh certification timelines against cash burn. Joby and Archer have drawn more attention and, in the case of Joby, a higher market value, but Beta's head start on customer demonstrations and its heavy representation in the federal pilot program give it a differentiated position. Whether that translates into firm orders will depend on how prospective operators respond once they are actually aboard the aircraft.

Beta said it is continuing flight testing and working toward full type certification.

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