At the beginning of June, an all-electric aircraft from Vermont-based aerospace manufacturer Beta Technologies made a groundbreaking flight from East Hampton to JFK Airport.
"They have just completed the longest electric flight in our city's history, proving that electrified aviation is not just a remote possibility that will come about sometime in the indeterminate future but a reality within our reach," said Andrew Kimball, from the NYC Economic Development Corporation, at the press conference at JFK after the plane completed its journey.
The feat marked the first all-electric aircraft to land at any New York City airport, carrying a pilot and four passengers. The flight included Blade Air Mobility CEO Rob Wiesenthal, whose company in 2021 signed a provisional agreement with Beta to buy 20 Alia aircraft for its charter flight fleet.
Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, could transform the private air travel industry, particularly with brands like Blade that serve short-distance flights.
Beta boasted that the 45-minute ride cost just $7 in energy, compared to the roughly $160 in fuel that a helicopter would consume in a comparable trip.
Considering that 17.1 million tons of direct carbon pollution were released into the atmosphere by private jets in 2023 — up 46% from 2019 — producing an alternative is crucial to the health of the environment.
Electric vehicles and eVTOLs use lithium batteries, which have negative effects on the environment through production. However, University of Oxford researcher Hannah Ritchie has noted through her research that "mining quantities for low-carbon energy will be 500 to 1000 times less than current fossil fuel production."
To put that into perspective, 30 million tons of minerals are mined annually for the clean energy transition; meanwhile, 16.5 billion tons of dirty energy are mined every year.
For Beta Technologies, this pilot flight is hopefully the watershed moment that leads to a strong future for eVTOL air travel.
"Amelia Earhart made history when she landed at Newark Liberty as the first woman to fly solo across the United States. This flight is both a milestone and a first step towards the future of aviation," said Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
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