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Air New Zealand has wrapped up a four-month trial of its first electric aircraft.
The NZ carrier’s demonstrator battery-electric BETA ALIA CX300, N401NZ, completed 100 flights totalling 13,000 kilometres over the course of the testing period, visiting 12 airports and aerodromes across the country. Two Air New Zealand pilots and eight BETA Technologies pilots participated.
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“This programme was about learning by doing. Flying the aircraft in real conditions, across real routes, with our people and partners involved has given us a much deeper understanding of what next-generation aircraft could mean for New Zealand aviation in the future,” said Air New Zealand’s general manager of strategy, networks and fleet, Baden Smith.
“We worked through everything from pilot training and flight planning to energy use, airport interfaces and airspace integration. Those learnings will directly inform how we think about the future of our fleet, our network, and scaling this type of technology.”
Over the course of the program, the CX300 flew more than 20 tonnes of simulated cargo; participated in New Zealand’s first low-emissions instrument flight rules (IFR) operation; operated multiple times across the Cook Strait; and demonstrated “significant difference” in fuel costs – NZ$20 in electrical energy vs $110 in fuel for a Cessna Caravan – between Wellington and Blenheim.
According to Simon Newitt, BETA Technologies’ head of sales and support, the trial “showed what’s possible when electric aircraft are flown in real airline environments”.
“Flying more than 100 flights across both islands, including Cook Strait crossings and New Zealand’s first low-emissions IFR operations, gave our teams and Air New Zealand invaluable insight into how electric aircraft integrate with existing airspace, airports, and everyday airline workflows,” he said.
“New Zealand’s geography and regional connectivity needs make it a powerful proving ground, enabling practical learnings that can support more cost-efficient and sustainable aviation here, while also informing deployments globally.”
The airline picked the ALIA from four contenders in 2023, selecting the battery-powered conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) version of the aircraft. Air New Zealand has a firm order for one ALIA, with options for an extra two and rights for a further 20.
ALIA is capable of speeds up to 270km/h, has reached ranges of 480km in testing, and can be fully charged in 40 to 60 minutes. Air New Zealand plans to initially operate it for NZ Post cargo services on routes of around 150km, at altitudes of between 1,500 to 3,000 metres.
N401NZ has now been handed back to BETA Technologies for its “next phase”, the carrier said.
