Metro Aviation has placed a deposit-backed order for up to 20 ALIA eVTOL aircraft manufactured by electric aerospace company, BETA Technologies.
Metro plans to integrate BETA’s ALIA VTOL into its existing network of air medical operations, to ultimately carry out both inter-hospital and scene transports.
Metro currently operates 170 aircraft for 42 programs across 27 states in the U.S. BETA’s ALIA VTOL will provide another platform to that portfolio – and with its high reliability, low cost, and vertical capabilities, it will offer increased mobility and access to rural and urban geographies with zero operational emissions.
According to Metro, the company has been in conversation with various eVTOL developers over the past several years, but BETA, with its pragmatic approach and genuine interest in an operator’s perspective, was the one to legitimately capture its attention.
Metro’s Vice President and Co-Owner, Todd Stanberry, said; “We are all about the relationships we have with our partners.
“Yes, we believe BETA has the superior product in the eVTOL space, and they are taking the right approach to entering the market, but most importantly, they genuinely care about our opinion and everyone checks their ego at the door. This made the decision easy for Metro. We are aligned with BETA in so many ways, from people, to safety, to quality, and we are thrilled about this new partnership.”
Kyle Clark, BETA’s Founder and CEO, said; “We originally designed ALIA with organ and tissue transport in mind, so we are excited to complement that mission with Metro and its family of healthcare providers across the country.
“Electric aviation brings reliability at a lower cost, which makes it a strong value proposition for urgent transport like hospital transfers and emergency response.”
As the first to equip its entire fleet with night vision goggles and continuously investing in cutting-edge safety technologies, including full-motion simulators, Metro believes it remains at the forefront of innovation. The company is also said to be the first air medical operator in the U.S. to embrace this new technology. Serving top-tier medical programs, Metro operates in some of the most challenging environments, from remote rural areas to mountainous regions with varying elevations.
BETA has begun production of its all-electric aircraft, including the ALIA eVTOL and its conventional counterpart, the ALIA CTOL. Both aircraft optimize for payload and range, fit for regional or intra-city transport with the ability to carry up to 1,250 lbs of payload or five-passengers and a pilot, depending on the configuration. BETA’s aircraft have landed at more than 90 airports, completed deployments with the U.S. Air Force, and completed the industry’s first full, manned transition in a production-intent vehicle.
In addition to its aircraft, BETA is also rolling out an electric charging network across the U.S. Today, there are 35 BETA chargers online along the East, West, and Gulf Coasts, and 50 additional sites are in development.
