Air New Zealand’s new electric aircraft takes flight

The first electric Air New Zealand aircraft, a small BETA ALIA CX300 has taken off on it’s first round off test flights from Tauranga and Hamilton.

The Air New Zealand electric demonstration aircraft | Photo: Air New Zealand

The United States built aircraft, was manufactured by BETA Technologies, a leading innovator in global aviation.

The Alia can accommodate two crew members and up to 5.6cu m of cargo on missions of up to approximately 398km.

The plane registered as N401NZ, arrived in New Zealand in early October. The ALIA CX300 has been leased to Air New Zealand for four months for a technical demonstrator programme, allowing the airline and it’s partners, to learn how the aircraft will perform in New Zealand’s conditions, and to begin pilot and engineering familiarisation.

The light aircraft made several test flights from Tauranga before flying to Hamilton where it will be based before it moves to Wellington in the coming months.

During the aircraft's time in Hamilton, Air New Zealand and BETA teams will undertake a programme of flights in a range of conditions and altitudes.  In December it will move to Wellington, where it will complete flights between Wellington and Blenheim. 

Air New Zealand has invested in the required charging facilities to support the operation through its Climate and Nature Fund. 65kW mobile chargers will be based at Hamilton, Wellington and Blenheim airports.

Baden Smith, Air New Zealand's General Manager - Fleet, Networks and Strategy, says the flights mark an important milestone for their Next Generation Aircraft programme, and the innovation journey the airline is on to understand how different technology might work in New Zealand and globally in the future.  

"New Zealand has a proud history of aviation innovation and pushing for progress. It's incredibly special to partner with a global innovator like BETA,” says Smith.