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Air New Zealand aims to become the first airline to fly an electric plane after announcing plans to have a battery-powered aircraft join its fleet in 2026.
The national airline said it has ordered an electric ALIA aircraft from US-based aerospace manufacturer Beta Technologies.
It is expected to join Air New Zealand's fleet initially as a cargo-only service flying packages and letters on domestic routes in partnership with New Zealand Post.
"We're aiming to be the first airline to fly a next-generation aircraft commercially," Air New Zealand Chief Sustainability Officer Kiri Hannifin told AFP.
She added that New Zealand's national carrier does not yet have a date when they will be able to offer passenger flights on battery-powered planes.
Scandinavian Airlines announced plans last May to carry customers on its first commercial electric flights in 2028.
NEWS: BETA Technologies, the #eVTOL and #eCTOL developer, lands ALIA aircraft at Duke Field after a 2,000-mile journey. ?????
— all_electric (@allelectric_mag) October 28, 2023
BETA Tech's ALIA-250 has undergone a name change to ALIA VTOL. Their ALIA CTOL, an #electric plane, is gearing up for commercial operations by 2025. ????
The… pic.twitter.com/QlWShQ54wL
ALIA
ALIA can be fully recharged in around an hour.
It will land and take off like a conventional aircraft.
As with electric cars, the distance the plane can cover is key.
Roughly 12 metres long and weighing three tonnes, the ALIA has covered distances of 480 km in a single test flight.
Its top speed is 270 km/h and can fly at an altitude of up to 3,000 metres.
Air New Zealand hopes to buy two dozen more of these aircraft to lower emissions as it has the potential to decarbonise regional operators.
