Space Leasing International has placed a firm order for 25 Alia CTOL aircraft from Beta Technologies. The deal broadens SLI’s remit beyond space assets to include advanced air mobility and deepens its long-standing ties with Beta through its parent, Libra Group.

Launched in 2023 as a specialist lessor for orbital systems, SLI will now lease the fixed-wing CX300 variant to operators across intra-city and regional routes. The aircraft is designed for airport-to-airport travel and can transport up to 1,240 pounds of cargo or five passengers plus a pilot. It runs entirely on electric power and produces low noise and zero emissions.

SLI plans to deploy the aircraft for cargo, medical transport and critical missions. Beta’s sales lead Patrick Buckles says: “Our Alia platforms are designed to support everything from sustainable business and leisure travel to essential missions like disaster response, firefighting and humanitarian aid, answering the wide range of critical and commercial applications SLI manages. This is the extension of a longstanding partnership, and we look forward to working with SLI as we round the corner into commercial operations.”

Beta’s real-world testing has included daily flights at the Paris Air Show and a cross-country U.S. trip covering over 8,000 nautical miles. It also recently flew passengers from JFK. CEO Praveen Vetrivel says: “We're proud to partner with Beta as it leads the charge in transforming aviation.”