Air New Zealand will accept delivery of an Alia CX300 electric airplane and several aircraft chargers from Beta Technologies in 2025 as the flag-carrier airline prepares to launch commercial cargo operations with the aircraft in 2026.

After agreeing to purchase up to 23 Alia CX300 aircraft last year, Air New Zealand has opted to lease an additional “technical demonstrator” to use for familiarization practices ahead of service entry, Beta announced on December 11. In addition to the demonstrator, the airline has added one permanent charging station and multiple mobile “MiniCube” chargers to its existing order from Beta, which manufactures the multimodal chargers.

According to Beta, the familiarization practices will last six months and involve almost every department of airline personnel, including pilots, maintenance technicians, ground support teams, and route planners.

“The tech demonstrator and chargers will allow us to collect data and refine the operations so Air New Zealand can hit the ground running with low-cost electric service upon delivery of their first certified aircraft,” said Beta founder and CEO Kyle Clark.

Beta is targeting service entry in 2025 for the Alia CX300—the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) version of Beta’s Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft that could be certified the following year. The manufacturer is working with the FAA to certify the CX300 under Part 23 rules for small airplanes, and the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA) is expected to certify it in parallel with the FAA.

Both versions of the Alia aircraft are designed to seat up to five passengers plus one pilot, or they can be configured to fit 200 cu ft (up to around 1,400 pounds) of cargo. Air New Zealand plans to use the Alia demonstrator for cargo flights in partnership with the New Zealand Postal Service. Their first planned route will connect Wellington International Airport in New Zealand’s North Island with Marlborough Airport Blenheim on the South Island, across the Cook Strait.

A Beta spokesperson told AIN that the aircraft will be “one of the next off the production line” in Vermont, where the company recently rolled out and flight-tested its first production-conforming CX300 aircraft. The demonstrator aircraft Beta is delivering to Air New Zealand will be in a cargo configuration with two seats and dual controls for training.

Air New Zealand placed firm orders for its first three Alia CX300 aircraft in December 2023, and the deal includes options for 20 more in the future. These orders are part of Air New Zealand’s Mission Next Gen Aircraft program, which the airline launched to help decarbonize its fleet with new electric and hybrid-electric aircraft.