The Stolport FBO at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has acquired an electric aircraft charger from Beta Technologies, marking the company’s first charger sale in Canada. On August 18, the Vermont-based electric aviation company conducted a flight demonstration at the airport with its Alia CX300 electric airplane in an event co-hosted by the Toronto Port Authority and Stolport, which announced its purchase of a Beta Minicube charging system.
“Joining Beta’s global charging network is more than an operational upgrade—it is a commitment to being on the leading and greening edge of aviation in Canada,” said Stolport CEO Nicolas Pappalardo. “Stolport is proud to invest in smart infrastructure that enables the economic development of sustainable aviation.”
Beta’s Minicube is a mobile Level 3 DC fast charger that uses the combined charging system (CCS) standard for electric vehicle chargers, enabling it to charge both electric aircraft and ground vehicles. About the size of a mini fridge and mounted on caster wheels, the Minicube offers 40 kilowatts of continuous power.
In addition to the Minicube, Beta also offers the 65-kilowatt Minicube+ as well as a permanent, 320-kilowatt charging station known as the Charge Cube. The company has installed nearly 50 charging stations across the U.S. in preparation for the introduction of small electric aircraft such as the six-seat Alia CX300, which it aims to certify this year. It plans to subsequently certify an eVTOL version known as the Alia 250. Beta manufactures the Alia aircraft at its 188,000-sq-ft production facility in Vermont, and the company has a research and development facility in Montréal.
Shortly after Beta’s Montréal facility opened in March 2023, the company flew an Alia prototype to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport from its flight testing center at New York’s Plattsburgh International Airport, marking the first time an all-electric aircraft crossed an international border. Later that year, Vancouver-based charter operator Helijet International announced plans to purchase up to eight Alia aircraft for passenger services, as well as potentially for emergency response, air ambulance, and organ transport operations.
Earlier this month, Beta initiated an Alia CX300 flight demonstration campaign in Norway with its partner Bristow, a helicopter operator that has previously agreed to purchase up to 55 Alia aircraft. The same aircraft now flying in Norway, FAA-registered N214BT, recently flew at the Paris Air Show as part of a European tour that kicked off in March with demo flights in Ireland.
While in Europe, Beta’s team has been traveling with a Minicube charger. In Norway, however, the company is expected to begin utilizing new chargers developed by two Norwegian companies that were recently selected in a tender competition organized by Avinor, the country’s state-owned airport operator and air navigation service provider. One of those companies, Grimstad-based DRiiv Solutions, recently installed a permanent charging station at Stavanger Airport, where the Alia has been flying lately. Skagerak Mobil Energi, based in Porsgrunn, is preparing to deliver its mobile charging solution to Bergen Airport to support Beta’s campaign. According to Avinor, the Alia is scheduled to fly from Stavanger to Bergen in early September.