Air Ambulance Service Metro Aviation Orders 20 Beta Electric VTOL Aircraft

The Shreveport, Louisiana-based firm on Monday announced it placed a deposit-backed order for as many as 20 Alia VTOL aircraft from manufacturer Beta Technologies. The unique design—which falls under the first new category of aircraft the FAA has created in decades—lifts off vertically like a helicopter but cruises on fixed wings.

Metro said it talked to several manufacturers about adding VTOL aircraft to its fleet before ultimately settling on Beta.

“We are all about the relationships we have with our partners,” said Todd Stanberry, vice president and co-owner of Metro. “We believe Beta has the superior product in the eVTOL space, and they are taking the right approach to entering the market, but most importantly, they genuinely care about our opinion, and everyone checks their ego at the door.”

Beta’s all-electric Alia is designed for a pilot to fly as many as five passengers or 1,250 pounds of cargo, cruising at 135 knots. The manufacturer recently unveiled a passenger-oriented version of the model, but it is designed to handle a range of operations—including medical services.

Beta customer and investor United Therapeutics, for example, intends to use Alia to transport cargo such as 3D-printed organs. The U.S. Air Force, meanwhile, recently took the aircraft out for "real-world" demonstrations that included a simulated medical evacuation. In September, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded Beta $20 million to study Alia’s capabilities as an emergency response vehicle.

Metro Aviation’s fleet of 170 helicopters serves programs across 27 U.S. states, flying in treacherous environments such as mountain ranges and remote rural areas. Typically, helicopters, with their VTOL capability, are called upon for such missions.

According to Metro, though, Beta’s Alia will improve mobility and lower operating costs while producing zero emissions, making it a more sustainable and effective alternative. The company will integrate the VTOL design into its existing air medical network, flying between hospitals and even transporting victims from the scene of an emergency.

“We originally designed Alia with organ and tissue transport in mind,” said Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of Beta. “Electric aviation brings reliability at a lower cost, which makes it a strong value proposition for urgent transport like hospital transfers and emergency response.”

Among VTOL aircraft manufacturers, Beta has taken the lead in electric aircraft charging, which could shore up Metro’s network further. Beta chargers—designed to accommodate any electric vehicle, air or ground—are already online at 35 airports and FBO terminals coast to coast, with a further 50 sites under development. That sort of coverage will allow Alia to cover more ground, since the aircraft can stop to juice up at any number of locations nationwide.

Beta expects to certify the Alia VTOL, one of two electric designs it is developing alongside a model that takes off conventionally from the runway, with the FAA in 2026.

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