Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Lifts Off in Electric Air Taxi

Flight in Beta Technologies’ Alia comes as officials ready for more extensive public demonstrations.

Jack Daleo

Monday, June 01, 2026 at 03:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Beta Technologies CEO Kyle Clark (left) stands next to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in front of the company’s Alia, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design. [Credit: U.S. Department of Transportation]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy became the first Transportation Secretary to fly in an eVTOL aircraft, Beta Technologies' Alia, emphasizing its reality and future impact on transportation.
The Department of Transportation is launching the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) across 26 states to test diverse applications such as urban air taxis, regional passenger transport, cargo, logistics, and medical delivery over a three-year period.
Beta Technologies is a lead participant in the eIPP, showcasing its electric Alia eVTOL and CX300 aircraft, with extensive testing, established charging infrastructure, and partnerships aimed at diverse applications from cargo to passenger flights.

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“This is not the Jetsons,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a new video capturing his flight on Beta Technologies’ Alia eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft. “This is actual real life.”

Duffy on Friday became the first transportation secretary to fly in an eVTOL aircraft, the Transportation Department said Monday. Duffy called the sortie a “historic flight into the future” and said eVTOL models will “fundamentally change the way people and products move.”