Signature Aviation is teaming up with Beta Technologies to bring electric aircraft chargers to its fixed-base operators (FBOs) across the U.S. East Coast. The business aviation services group inaugurated its first Beta charging station on Thursday at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (KMHT) in New Hampshire.
The partners signed an agreement covering the installation of charging stations at three Signature FBO locations, and discussions regarding additional locations are already underway. This summer Beta will install another two chargers at Frederick Municipal Airport (KFDK) in Maryland and Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (KCHO) in Virginia.
This agreement represents the third such partnership for Vermont-based Beta, which is also installing charging stations at several Atlantic Aviation FBOs. Avflight, another FBO chain operator, recently installed one of Beta’s chargers at Golden Triangle Regional Airport (KGTR) in eastern Mississippi. Beta’s charging stations are multimodal and interoperable, meaning they can charge electric aircraft as well as electric ground vehicles.
So far Beta’s charging infrastructure network across the eastern U.S. consists of 19 sites that are already operational and another 50 that are either in the permitting or construction process. Meanwhile, as Beta continues to build out its charging network, the company is also developing two electric air taxis—the CX300 conventional airplane and the Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft, which it aims to have certified and in service by 2025 and 2026, respectively.
Signature has headquarters in Orlando, Florida and operates more than 200 FBO locations at airports around the world. It provides business aviation customers with hangars and fuel, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services and passenger amenities.
In recent years, Signature has strived to reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainability as part of a rebranding strategy. For example, Signature has made sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) available at several locations, including all of its FBOs in California as well as its Vail Valley Jet Center FBO at Eagle County Regional Airport in Colorado, where it will soon introduce its first electric refueling truck. In 2022, Signature announced that it had achieved carbon neutrality across its entire network.
“We are thrilled to further solidify our partnership with Beta, which underscores our unwavering commitment to shaping the future of aviation through our sustainability initiatives in Signature Renew,” said company chief commercial officer Derek DeCross.
“Today’s announcement is indicative of a transformative time for Signature, with our recent visual identity update focused on delivering innovative hospitality across every element of the guest journey. Together with Beta, we're not only creating greater access to electric aviation but also unlocking new possibilities in regional air mobility for our guests, all while championing sustainability and innovation in the aviation industry.”
