It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... the future of air transit in the Beehive State

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — The Beehive State is inching closer to a future of on-demand air travel, and Monday provided the first glimpse into what that future could look like.

In May 2024, Utah-based aerospace and defense company 47G announced the launch of Project Alta, technically known as the Air Logistics Transportation Alliance.

The project, which aims to establish an "advanced air mobility system" for the state, is a collaboration between 47G, the Utah Governor's Office, the Utah Department of Transportation, the Utah Inland Port Authority and other stakeholders.

Advanced air mobility, according to 47G, is a novel mode of transportation that harnesses electric aircraft to move people and packages throughout the state.

Beta Technologies is a Vermont-based electric aircraft and charging manufacturer that signed a memorandum of understanding with 47G in January in a landmark deal that opened the door for electric flight in Utah. On Monday, it kicked off six days of demonstration flights across the state to showcase its electric ALIA aircraft.

"Utah has demonstrated forward-thinking leadership and a strong commitment to investing in advanced air mobility," said Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of Beta Technologies. "Utah is way ahead of the game, making the right investments early and providing the necessary support to stand up an air mobility ecosystem that can drive real impact. This week's flights will demonstrate the benefits of this low-cost, quiet and safe mode of transport for the state of Utah and beyond."

ALIA has the ability to transport up to five passengers or 1,250 pounds of cargo

Flights will start with cargo deliveries, beginning over the next few years, eventually moving to air taxis for passenger travel.

Emma Davis, a Utah State University graduate who currently works as a flight test engineer for Beta Technologies, said it was a "full-circle moment" for her to be back in Utah to showcase the plane.

Pilots prepare to conduct a flight demonstration of the electric aircraft, ALIA, to showcase the future of air mobility in Utah, at Atlantic Aviation in Salt Lake City on Monday. (Photo: Tess Crowley, Deseret News)

"It's an all-electric aircraft so it's a very simple design, which leads to a higher reliability, lower cost aircraft that's really optimized for regional missions," Davis said, adding the company is ramping up to have 300 aircraft off the production line every year.

And according to Noah Ranallo, the ALIA is "a pleasure" to fly.

"It is incredibly smooth, incredibly quiet and very simple," Ranallo said. "As pilots of, you know, turbine or reciprocating engine aircraft, there's always something that you should be looking at, maybe little things you're changing with your power input, you know, monitoring temperatures and pressures. You just don't have all that stuff in this airplane."

Ranallo said the aircraft has been tested up to 14,000 feet. For the Utah demos, the team is planning 120- to 130-mile legs of travel but added the goal is to reach 250-300 miles in the future.

Aerospace company BETA Technologies conducts a flight demonstration of its electric aircraft, ALIA, top center, to showcase the future of air mobility in Utah, at Atlantic Aviation in Salt Lake City on Monday. (Photo: Tess Crowley, Deseret News)

Cargo flight planning will start by reviewing infrastructure within the state's municipal and regional airports in partnership with UDOT, said Aaron Starks, president and CEO of 47G, when the memorandum of understanding was signed. Salt Lake City, Provo and Ogden are "high" on the list of areas to debut advanced air mobility, while pilots could be trained at institutions like Utah State University, Southern Utah University and Utah Valley University, he said.

Passenger flights would begin sometime after cargo, possibly connecting Logan and Salt Lake City within 20 minutes, or Salt Lake City and Moab within 40 minutes. Ryan Starks, executive director of the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, said the technology offers the potential to expand mobility options across the state that can reduce commute times without compromising air quality.

"We move people and the things they need using more than just roads. These demonstrations are more than just a technology showcase — they represent a fundamental shift in how we think about mobility," said Carlos Braceras, UDOT's executive director. "As Utah's population grows and we face increasing demands on our ground transportation system, we know that advanced air mobility offers innovative new solutions to address our evolving mobility needs."