Surf Air Mobility and Beta Technologies are launching an electric aircraft demonstration programme in Hawaii, with Hawaiian Airlines, part of Alaska Air Group, providing support in key areas, such as sharing insights on Hawaii cargo and passenger routes, participating in feasibility assessments, and supporting local stakeholder and community engagement activities.

Hawaiian Airlines has hosted a launch event for the trial at its Charles I Elliott Maintenance and Cargo Facility at Daniel K. Inouye Internationa, which it says is an important next step toward the deployment of these next-generation aircraft for real-world regional air service.

Beta's Alia CTOL electric aircraft has begun conducting demonstration flights across Hawaii as part of an approximately six to eight-week flight campaign to evaluate the operational, economic and infrastructure requirements for future electric aircraft operations in the state.

The programme brings together Beta's electric aircraft technology, Surf Air Mobility's regional airline expertise as Mokulele Airlines, existing Hawaii airport ground infrastructure and SurfOS software. Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaii's largest and longest-serving carrier, serves as a link between the islands, the continental US and international destinations across the Pacific. This landmark demonstration programme will provide key learnings as to how electric aircraft could support future cargo and passenger operations across Hawaii's inter-island network.

The demonstration programme represents a commitment to understanding how new technologies can sustain strong transportation infrastructure with lower emissions and expanded energy alternatives with more stable prices than aviation fuel. Beta will conduct demonstration flights in Hawaii and will share operational insights and learnings throughout the programme. Hawaii's short inter-island route structure and established demand for regional air transportation make it an ideal environment to evaluate electric aircraft operations at commercial scale.

Specifically, the programme will generate data and operational learnings that help answer some of the most important questions surrounding the future deployment of electric aircraft, including: aircraft performance across Hawaii's routes, weather conditions and operating environment; direct operating costs and economic factors that will help determine the commercial performance of future electric aircraft operations; maintenance requirements and servicing needs associated with operating electric aircraft in commercial service; battery performance, energy consumption and operating costs across representative inter-island missions; and crew training and familiarisation requirements, ground handling procedures, safety protocols and charging infrastructure needs across the network.

The data generated through the programme will support broader efforts to advance sustainable aviation solutions across the state.

Kyle Clark, chief executive officer and founder of Beta Technologies, says: “Connecting the Hawaiian islands with low cost cargo and passenger service is a great application for electric advanced air mobility. These early demonstrations will showcase the utility and economics of the Beta Alia aircraft firsthand to Surf Air and inform future high cadence, sustainable intra-island service.”

Diana Birkett Rakow, chief executive officer of Hawaiian Airlines, adds: “Hawaiian Airlines has a deep and sustained responsibility not only to provide critical air service to, from and within the islands and to carry the spirit of Hawaii with us on the journey, we are also driven, with Alaska Airlines, to cultivate innovation and support the technologies that will enable a strong and resilient future for aviation. This programme provides an opportunity to better understand how Beta's electrified aircraft can support safe and reliable cargo and passenger air service for short-haul service while improving the environmental impact of that flying.”

Deanna White, chief executive officer of Surf Air Mobility, states: “The aviation industry has talked about electric flight for years. The question is no longer whether electric aircraft can fly, but rather how they can now be successfully integrated into commercial service. The data generated through this programme will help define the operational, economic and infrastructure requirements needed to advance the next generation of regional air transportation.”

Surf Air Mobility announced an order for 25 Alia CTOLs, with options for an additional 75 aircraft in March this year. It intends to deploy these Beta aircraft throughout its Hawaii operations for both cargo and passenger missions following FAA certification. Through its Mokulele Airlines subsidiary, the company operates Hawaii's largest commuter airline network by airports served and departures, providing an established operational foundation for future electric aircraft deployment.

As part of this announcement, Surf Air Mobility is preparing to establish an MRO facility in Hawaii that, once certified, is expected to serve as the factory-authorised service centre for Beta aircraft in the state. The facility is expected to support long-term electric aircraft operations and help build the technical infrastructure necessary to scale commercial electric aviation.