Metro Aviation Orders eVTOLs for Medical Transport
U.S. air medical operator Metro Aviation is taking eVTOLs seriously. In November 2024, the company placed a deposit- backed order for up to 20 Alia VTOLs made by Beta Technologies (
beta.team). According to a Metro Aviation news release, Metro plans to integrate Beta’s Alia VTOL into its existing network of air medical operations, to ultimately carry out both inter-hospital and scene transports. Metro currently operates 170 aircraft for 42 programs across 27 U.S. states. “Beta’s Alia VTOL will provide another platform to that portfolio – and with its high reliability, low cost, and vertical capabilities, it will offer increased mobility and access to rural and urban geographies
with zero operational emissions,” the news release stated.
Metro’s decision to use Beta Alia VTOLs came after many years of discussions with various eVTOL developers. “We are all about the relationships we have with our partners,” said Todd Stanberry, Metro’s VP and co-owner. “Yes, we believe Beta has the superior product in the eVTOL space, and they are taking the right approach to entering the market, but most importantly, they genuinely care about our opinion and everyone checks their ego at the door.”
“We originally designed ALIA with organ and tissue transport in mind, so we are excited to complement that mission with Metro and its family of healthcare providers across the country,” added Kyle Clark, Beta’s founder and CEO. “Electric aviation brings reliability at a lower cost, which makes it a strong value proposition for urgent transport like hospital transfers and emergency response.”
Now, the specs: Beta’s Alia VTOL is a single-pilot eVTOL with one five-blade fixed-pitch propeller and four two-blade lift propellers. It has a maximum speed of 153 knots and a maximum demonstrated range of 336 nautical miles. The Alia VTOL can carry up to 1,250 pounds of payload or five passengers and a pilot.
According to Beta, their eVTOLs have landed at more than 90 airports and completed deployments with the U.S. Air Force. Beta is also rolling out an electric charging network across
the country.
There are 35 Beta chargers online along the East, West, and Gulf coasts, plus 50 additional sites in development. Beta is producing its Alia VTOL and electric Alia CTOL (conventional takeoff and landing) aircraft and chargers in its nearly 200,000-square-foot production facility in Vermont.
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