Transportation
Air New Zealand to Fly Amazon-Backed Electric Plane in 2026
- Airline has options to buy more planes from Beta Technologies
- Aviation is racing to find a path to carbon neutrality by 2050
Air New Zealand Ltd. ordered an electric plane from an Amazon.com Inc.-backed startup as part of a plan to operate commercial flights with cleaner, next-generation aircraft in little more than two years.
The battery-powered plane from Beta Technologies takes off and lands like a normal jet and has flown as far as 500 kilometers (310 miles) in tests. Air New Zealand said Wednesday it plans to use it for short cargo flights in 2026, paving the way for larger, next-generation aircraft on normal domestic services from 2030.