Beta CX300 Alia Lands in Santa Monica 22 Days After Leaving Vermon

Beta Technologies’s CX300 Alia made history by completing what seems to be the first coast-to-coast flight in an electric aircraft. The plane’s journey began on February 7, 2025, in Vermont and landed in Santa Monica 22 days later.

The Alia CX300 responsible for the journey was N916LF, which was the first to come off the manufacturer’s new production line in South Burlington, Vermont. It completed its maiden flight on November 13 with Beta founder and CEO Kyle Clark. He took the CX300 up to around 7,000 feet to complete “handling qualities evaluation, stability and control test points and initial airspeed expansion prior to flying several approaches and a normal landing,” Beta stated.

The aircraft has come a long way since then, recently flying across the nation on a 22 day, 20 flight journey. It departed from Beta’s home base in Vermont at Burlington International Airport (BTV) on February 7, 2025, headed westbound. On March 1, the CX300 completed its final leg with test pilot Chris Caputo by touching down at California’s Santa Monica Airport (SMO). The total distance traveled was 2,900 miles split between 82 airports.

“Our next stop is Edwards Air Force Base, we're going to do some work with the United States Air Force Test Pilot School,” Caputo stated.

Though the CX300 remains uncertified in the US, it has made strides in its international reputation. Beta will soon complete its first deliveries to Air New Zealand and Bristow in Norway.

“That kind of work doesn’t happen with prototypes,” expressed Beta COO Blain Newton. “It happens with real, working aircraft that will transform how people and goods travel across the country, and not in a decade, we’re talking months and years. This is upon us. What you just saw is the future of aviation.”

The CX300 is the conventional takeoff version of Beta’s Alia design. It has a five passenger capacity and utilizes an electric H500A motor, giving the aircraft a 135 kt cruise speed and a 336 nm range. The CX300 is expected to receive FAA type certification by 2025 and already has several commitments overseas.

FMI: www.beta.team