Cleantechnica reporter (here) that “Alaskan cargo airline Ryan Air in Alaska (not the same Ryanair Europeans are familiar with) has placed an order for a BETA Technologies Alia electric plane and committed to install up to ten of BETA’s Charge Cube charging stations. The electric aircraft will be used in the remote regions.” BETA Technologies is based in Burlington, Vermont.
Alaska is the perfect place for the Alia CTOL aircraft. The state has hundreds of small communities spread across its footprint. Ryan Air itself serves more than 70 rural communities in Alaska, many of which are inaccessible by road and depend on air transport for supplies. The carrier intends to use the Alia to deliver food, medicine, and other essential goods.
Rhe aircraft is designed to carry up to 1,250 pounds of cargo and is capable of operating under instrument flight rules and in known icing conditions, features that are critical for safe operations in Alaska’s severe weather. The Alia CTOL uses a proprietary H500A electric motor paired with Hartzell propellers engineered for electric and hybrid-electric propulsion. With a wingspan of 50 feet, the aircraft achieves a demonstrated range of 336 nautical miles (622 kilometers) and a maximum speed of 153 knots (285 km/h or 177 mph)
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