Air New Zealand to fly electric plane in 2026 to cut carbon emissions on shorter trips

Air New Zealand Ltd. ordered an electric plane from an Amazon.com Inc-backed start-up as part of a plan to operate commercial flights with cleaner, next-generation aircraft in little more than two years.

The battery-powered plane from Beta Technologies takes off and lands like a normal jet and has flown as far as 500km (310 miles) in tests.

Air New Zealand said on Wednesday it plans to use it for short cargo flights in 2026, paving the way for larger, next-generation aircraft on normal domestic services from 2030.

Global aviation is racing to find ways of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 after burning jet fuel with little restraint for more than half a century.

Electric planes are one option for reducing emissions on shorter trips, though the technology isn’t yet viable for the long-haul flights that produce the bulk of aviation’s emissions.

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Air New Zealand has options to buy two more of the ALIA aircraft from Beta, and has rights to purchase a further 20. A different version of the plane takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter.

The airline plans to operate initial flights with the ALIA on routes of around 150km. The plane is just over 12m long and will fly at speeds of as much as 270km an hour. Its battery is expected to take no more than one hour to recharge.

“This purchase marks a new chapter for the airline,” Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran said of the ALIA in a statement.

The fixed-wing plane can fit five passengers and one pilot in a passenger configuration, according to Beta’s website.

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The planemaker said in March it was pursuing US Federal Aviation Administration certification of the aircraft.

Beta is a privately-held company founded in 2017 and based in the US state of Vermont.

Air New Zealand has also been working with Eviation, VoltAero and Cranfield Aerospace on developing next-generation aircraft.

Additional reporting by Reuters