Air Freight Group Orders Beta’s Alia Electric Aircraft

Air freight specialist e-Smart Group has agreed to buy up to 20 of Beta Technologies’ Alia CX300 electric aircraft. The agreement was signed on Tuesday afternoon at the Dubai Airshow and covers firm orders for five of the conventional takeoff and landing models, plus purchase rights for 15 more.

The customer is launching a new electric aircraft operator called e-Smart Avia and intends to use the Alia models for logistics flights in the UAE and Europe. The CX300, for which Beta aims to achieve type certification in late 2026 or early 2027, will be used for express deliveries for e-commerce and high-value goods, such as medical supplies, life science materials, and spares for grounded aircraft.

U.S.-based Beta is also developing a five-passenger eVTOL model called the Alia 250 and aims to bring this to market around 12 months after the CX300. Earlier this month, the company raised around $1 billion through an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, and it has longer-term plans for larger electric and hybrid-electric aircraft.

The Alia CX300 is designed to have a 1,250-pound payload and almost 200 cu ft of space in its cabin. Beta, which makes recharging equipment as well, says it has demonstrated a range of 336 nm and could also be deployed for use cases including passenger flights and emergency medical support.

Beta has already delivered early examples of the CX300 to helicopter group Bristow in Norway and Air New Zealand, with both of these companies conducting trial operations prior to certification. Other customers include UPS, Republic Airways, Ryan Air, and United Therapeutics.

The Dubai-based e-Smart Group is a joint venture formed in October by Europe-based IAS InterAviation Services, SASI World, and e-Smart Logistics. It plans to launch cargo flights in 2027.

This week, Abu Dhabi Airports awarded Beta a contract to deploy its Charge Cube and Battery Thermal Management System to support electric aircraft operations across the emirate.