LAS VEGAS, NV / CRWE PRESS RELEASE / October 21, 2026 -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a first-of-its-kind Special Airworthiness Market Survey Certificate to BETA Technologies to conduct flight operations with its ALIA eVTOL aircraft (A250). This marks the Trump Administration’s latest move to unleash American innovation in our skies and unlock the future of flight in America.

In March, Secretary Duffy unveiled the eIPP program to begin testing advanced air mobility aircraft and their real-world applications. The eight selected projects span 28 states and partner with leading aircraft manufacturers, operators, and state partners, including:

• Urban air taxi services
• Regional passenger transportation (including short Takeoff and Landing aircraft)
• Cargo and logistics networks
• Emergency medical response operations
• Autonomous flight technologies
• Offshore and energy-sector transportation

What this means:

After careful review by FAA safety experts, BETA’s A250 aircraft is now authorized to conduct flight operations with operators and participants for the purpose of conducting market surveys. The certificate also expands the geographic scope of BETA’s operations, allowing the aircraft to fly in more environments and gather more data.

Why it matters:

The safe integration of next-generation Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft into the national airspace is essential to ensuring the U.S. leads the way in aviation innovation. AAM has the potential to reshape how Americans live, work, and connect by enhancing rural and urban transportation, strengthening cargo operations, and advancing both medical and military transportation. This certification takes the industry one step closer to that reality.

“Incredible things are happening in aviation thanks to President Trump and his commitment to innovation. The FAA’s special airworthiness certification of BETA’s A250 aircraft is another critical step towards enabling the future of flight in America,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “I want to thank our incredible safety team at the FAA for their hard work and congratulate BETA on reaching this milestone. From bringing the next generation of aircraft online to modernizing our nation’s air traffic control system – we are delivering generational wins for the flying public at record speed.”

“The FAA is committed to working with American innovators to safely integrate these new aircraft into our national airspace, while maintaining the rigorous safety standards that have made the United States a global leader in aviation,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

“This authorization brings vertical flight closer to the people and places that will put it to work, building on BETA’s track record of industry firsts. We completed the first crewed eVTOL transition flight in 2024, were first to receive market survey authorization for our CTOL, and now we’re first with our VTOL,” said BETA Technologies Founder and CEO Kyle Clark. “Operators can now experience the A250 firsthand and begin planning how it fits into their businesses, from connecting communities to moving people and goods at a lower cost. That’s an important step toward commercial adoption, and we’re grateful to the FAA for developing the regulatory framework that makes these operations possible.”

Secretary Duffy will discuss the announcement later today at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in Las Vegas, where he will also highlight the Department’s incredible progress in transforming the national airspace for the better. Thanks to $12.5 billion from the Working Families Tax Cut Act, the Department is modernizing America’s air traffic control system with new telecommunications lines, new radios and radars, and electronic flight strips—with all 13 modernization workstreams on track.

Additional Information:

The eIPP is a first-of-its-kind initiative outlined in President Trump’s Unleashing Drone Dominance Executive Order. It creates one of the world’s largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft with the potential to create jobs, connect communities, and strengthen American leadership in aviation.

Last year, Secretary Duffy and the FAA launched the nation’s first-ever advanced air mobility (AAM) strategy to unlock the future of flight. The Strategy and accompanying action plan outline 40 recommendations to safely and efficiently support AAM operations.

Contact: 

Federal Aviation Administration Press Office
800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20591
United States

Email:
pressoffice@faa.gov

Source: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)