Vancouver, B.C.-based Helijet International has placed firm orders with Vermont-based Beta Technologies for a fleet of electric-powered vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, or eVTOLs.
The aircraft, popularly known as flying taxis, are currently slated to undergo commercial regulatory certification in 2026 and would be available for commercial service shortly thereafter, Helijet said in a news release.
Beta Technologies’ Alia eVTOLs are built to carry a pilot and up to five passengers. The aircraft would be integrated into Helijet’s existing helicopter flight network, focusing on scheduled service between Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo. They’d also be used for emergency response, air ambulance and organ transfer services in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, plus charter services for rural and remote communities.
The Alia orders were announced today at Helijet’s Victoria Harbour Heliport, with B.C. Premier David Eby in attendance.
“We are committed to introducing and integrating zero-emission, vertical-lift technologies and related ground/building infrastructure in the communities we serve, and look forward to transforming our current heliport infrastructure to meet future urban air mobility vertiport standards,” said Danny Sitnam, Helijet’s president and CEO.
Eby said Helijet’s move into the eVTOL market is consistent with British Columbia’s commitment to promoting sustainable aviation technology and infrastructure development.
“This provincial government recognizes the potential of advanced air mobility to decarbonize the aviation sector, improve regional connectivity, improve emergency response times and introduce new manufacturing opportunities in our province,” Eby said.
Beta Technologies is working with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army to evaluate the Alia eVTOL. The company also operates a research-and-development facility at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Quebec. In September, Beta conducted a demonstration flight from Plattsburgh, N.Y., to Montreal.
Beta’s founder and CEO, Kyle Clark, said he was “thrilled to be partnering with Helijet to bring this next-generation, net-zero technology to Canadian commuters and travelers.”
“Between our growing engineering hub in Montreal, our first cross-border flight to the region earlier this year, and the support we’ve received from the government and regulators across Canada, we look forward to continuing to grow our presence in the country,” Clark said. “To be able to do that in partnership with the foremost operator in British Columbia is very exciting.”
Helijet isn’t the only B.C. air service delving into zero-emission aviation. Richmond-based Harbour Air is working with Everett, Wash.-based MagniX to convert its seaplanes to electric propulsion, with certification of MagniX’s powertrain expected by mid-2025.
