Fully electric airplane flies engers from East Hampton to JFK during 'historic' flight

The first fully electric aircraft landed at Kennedy Airport Tuesday after taking off from East Hampton with four engers plus the pilot, marking a potential turning point for the future of aviation, Port Authority and aerospace company officials said.

At the East End airport on Tuesday morning, the battery-powered ALIA CTOL aircraft turned on with a loud buzz, gliding down the runway before easing into the skies at about 10:24 a.m. and landing at Kennedy Airport 45 minutes later.

In a statement, the Port Authority said the all-electric aircraft was the first to land at one of the agency’s three major airports in the New York-New Jersey region. According to the Port Authority, the plane's demonstration flight at JFK marks a "historic first."

Kyle Clark, CEO of aerospace company BETA Technologies, piloted his company's sleek plane through the busy New York City airspace. Before departing, he said navigating the craft alongside commercial air traffic with four engers "proves to our team back home who's worked really hard to develop this airplane, that the aircraft's at the next step, ready to go on to its final steps of certification." 

Officials said this flight could change the future of aviation, bringing flights with no operational emissions one step closer to the flying public.

"This milestone flight is directly aligned with the Port Authority’s aggressive agenda to build a more sustainable future and to the development and rollout of new technology," Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said in a release. "We’ve pledged to reach net-zero emissions across all agency operations by 2050, and advancing clean, electric-powered aircraft is a key part of that strategy."

It’s taken Vermont-based BETA six years of testing and development to reach this point, Clark said. It was selected to fly into Kennedy Airport, one of the nation’s busiest terminals, after it submitted a proposal to the Port Authority, which sought companies to demonstrate a "next-generation aircraft," according to the agency. The plane uses advanced air mobility that could improve air quality and potentially reduce noise pollution, according to the Port Authority. The agency said the planes cost less to operate than traditional airplanes.

Clark said he expects it will take another 18 months for the fixed-wing electric airplane, which takes off and lands like a conventional airplane, to complete testing and receive clearance from the Federal Aviation istration. BETA conducted the flight under a marketing survey certificate, according to an FAA spokesman.

"It's a very long and arduous and very, very detailed process to cover every safety corner of the airplane," Clark said.

It's not the ALIA CTOL's first flight, just the first with engers, according to Clark. It previously flew 8,000 nautical miles across the country, from upstate Plattsburgh to Los Angeles and back, according to the Port Authority. The aerospace company has raised $1 billion from investors like Amazon and Fidelity Investments. It is conducting similar test flights in Europe. 

The aircraft is equipped with an electric motor that takes under an hour to charge, according to the company, and is described as being cheaper to operate than its gas-powered counterparts. It cost $8 to power the flight from East Hampton to Queens, a fraction of the $350 in fuel that it takes to run a conventional plane of similar size, Clark said. 

It could be a game changer for the traveling public and would eventually mean less expensive enger tickets, according to Rob Wiesenthal, founder and CEO of Blade Air Mobility, an indirect air carrier offering flights to several destinations, including the Hamptons.

"In the long run, it's going to be less costly to operate because they have less moving parts. It will be more affordable to the consumer," said Wiesenthal, who was one of the engers invited on the flight. 

The electric plane is also believed to be quieter than standard gas-powered planes, particularly inside the cabin. But there is still noise from the propeller.

"Noise and emissions have been a concern of the public for a long time, and when you have quiet and emission-free aircraft, it unlocks the opportunity for more landing zones that are more convenient to people all over the country," Wiesenthal said.

Summer air traffic noise at the East Hampton Town Airport long has long been a point of contention among some East End residents, Newsday previously reported. Town officials have tried to shut the airport down through litigation, but the courts have allowed it to remain open.

Town board were invited to attend the demonstration at the Wainscott airport, but none were present Tuesday. 

James Brundige, director of the East Hampton Airport, said he watched the plane take off Tuesday, noting that airports will need to start preparing for this technology to take hold. 

"Electric airplanes are the wave of the future. As the batteries get more efficient and are able to carry heavier weights at longer distances, airports will have to think about infrastructure to it," Brundige said.