May 22, 2026

Orlando International Hosts Electric Aircraft Demo

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando International Airport (MCO) was the site of electric aviation history this week when BETA Technologies, Republic Airways, Brickyard Connection, and Signature Aviation featured a demonstration on how BETA's electric aircraft and charging infrastructure will enable commercial operations across the state.

The event took place at Signature Aviation's Arnold Palmer Hangar, located on the West Ramp of Orlando International, and showcased the complete system that electric commercial aviation requires: the aircraft, the operators, and the infrastructure to support them. The partners outlined how near-term cargo, medical, and passenger missions will connect Florida's major metropolitan areas with the regional airports that serve them.

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“Orlando International Airport is proud to host this milestone demonstration and to work alongside partners like BETA, Republic Airways, Brickyard Connection, and Signature Aviation as electric aviation moves from promise to practical operations,” said Lance Lyttle, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which manages Orlando International and Orlando Executive airports. “As a Florida gateway, we’re focused on preparing the infrastructure and operating environment that will enable safe, reliable innovation to support near-term cargo, medical, and passenger missions. Today’s event will hopefully help to strengthen connectivity across the state.”

“Together, BETA, Republic Airways, and Signature Aviation are demonstrating how aircraft, infrastructure, and operators unite in a real-world environment to deliver repeatable missions and a clear path to commercialization for all-electric flight,” said Simon Newitt, head of sales and support at BETA. “BETA has flown more than 135,000 nautical miles in ALIA aircraft across the globe. That operational experience is what positions us to scale deliberately and efficiently for states like Florida, where near-term, short-haul cargo, medical, and passenger demand is strongest.”

Earlier this month, BETA, Republic and Brickyard completed three days of high-cadence electric flight demonstrations at Kissimmee Gateway Airport following a winter demonstration campaign in Burlington, VT, and Plattsburgh, NY, earlier this year. The companies state the back-to-back hot- and cold-weather demonstrations prove the readiness of electric commercial aviation to support cargo, logistics, passenger, and medical missions connecting Florida's major metropolitan areas with the regional airports that serve them.

Since announcing their partnership at the 2025 Paris Air Show, BETA and Republic have conducted advanced pilot training, operational integration, and performance evaluations along Florida’s I-4 corridor. Today's event translated that progress into a tangible demonstration of how the ALIA CTOL will operate in routine commercial service, connecting major metropolitan areas with the regional airports that serve them across cargo, logistics, passenger, and medical transport missions.

About BETA Technologies, Inc.

BETA (NYSE: BETA) is an aerospace and defense company designing, manufacturing and selling high-performance electric aircraft, advanced electric propulsion systems, components and charging systems to top operators worldwide. BETA has built and flown its family of ALIA aircraft, consisting of both conventional fixed-wing electric aircraft (the “ALIA CTOL”) and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (the “ALIA VTOL”), more than 140,000 nautical miles, including multiple trips across the United States. BETA is deploying a network of charging infrastructure to enable the growing industry with more than 100 sites across the United States and internationally. BETA’s intentional approach to developing the enabling technologies necessary to electrify aviation unlocks lucrative aftermarket revenue opportunities over the life of each aircraft. These highly scalable, enabling technologies allow BETA to serve a customer base across cargo and logistics, defense, passenger and medical end markets and unlock cost-effective and safe missions. BETA was named the #1 company on TIME’s list of the World’s Top GreenTech Companies of 2025. Visit www.beta.team for more information about BETA and its products.

About Republic Airways Holdings Inc.

Founded in 1974, Republic Airways maintains a combined fleet of more than 300 Embraer 170/175 aircraft, and its airlines offer scheduled passenger service on approximately 1,300 daily scheduled flights to approximately 125 cities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The airlines provide fixed-fee flights operated under their codeshare partners’ brands: American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. The airlines employ more than 8,000 aviation professionals. Learn more at www.rjet.com.

About Signature Aviation

Signature Aviation is the world’s preeminent aviation hospitality company, offering exceptional experiences and essential support services to business and private aviation guests. The company’s large-scale infrastructure footprint enables travel, fosters human connection and is a critical global economic driver. Signature operates an industry-leading network of private aviation terminals, with over 200 locations covering key destinations in 27 countries across five continents and is the largest distributor of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in business aviation. The company also offers over 16 million square feet of carbon-neutral, multiuse office and hangar real estate globally, providing unique networkwide benefits and advantages to guests who base their aircraft at a Signature location. For more information, please visit www.signatureaviation.com.

Media Contacts

BETA:

Republic Airways:

Signature Aviation:

About Greater Orlando Aviation Authority

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is proud to operate Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), two of Florida’s premier air travel gateways. MCO is a world-class global connector, serving nearly 58 million annual passengers across its three terminals, A, B and C. Connected to an Intermodal Terminal Facility that offers high-speed passenger rail service, Terminal C is an inventive structure that elevates the customer experience with 100% automated screening lanes at TSA checkpoints. ORL is conveniently located just miles from downtown Orlando and provides vital general aviation access to the heart of the region.

For more information, please contact the Office of Public Affairs at the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority at 407-825-2055 or email us at MCOPIO@goaa.org for further assistance.