Air New Zealand pilots begin training on new Alia CX300 electric plane

The public got a chance to step inside and take a look at the Alia CX300 electric aircraft yesterday.

Air New Zealand has been working with United States-based Beta Technologies to launch the aircraft.

It took off from Hamilton yesterday and will head to Wellington in summer after trials in the Waikato.

Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar, left, and Minister for Tourism Louise Upston in the aircraft cockpit. Photo / Mike Scott

“Since 2017 we’ve been looking at what next generation aircraft might look like,” Air New Zealand chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer Kiri Hannifin said.

“We have pilots up there training. They’ve got pilots down here now.”

Nate Dubie from Beta Technologies was in New Zealand to train the local pilots.

Dubie flew the first electric aircraft over the Grand Canyon.

Pilot Nate Dubie shows off the aircraft. Photo / Mike Scott

“I get the honour to come down here and teach the Air New Zealand pilots how to fly this plane.”

It used a CCS Type 1 or Type 2 plug-in adapter.

Mobile 65kW chargers will be at Hamilton, Wellington and Blenheim airports, funded through Air New Zealand’s Climate and Nature Fund.

Beta had models that could seat more passengers, but this one carried two crew and in the back, cargo.

“Whatever the operator wants to do, we build the airplane and then they figure out what to do with it.”

The Beta Alia CX300 in Hamilton yesterday. Photo / Mike Scott

Dubie said energy costs for a flight from Wellington to Blenheim would be about $20.

He said the same aircraft could be reconfigured to take five passengers.

The aircraft can recharge in about 90 minutes.

Minister for Tourism Louise Upston said the Air NZ-Beta Technologies venture was a positive development.

“It shows that New Zealand is an innovator,” she said.

“We do know in terms of aviation, decarbonisation is the biggest challenge facing the sector.”

Upston said if the aviation sector could innovate on a large scale, that would bring the country major economic benefits.

“We won’t transform aviation overnight, but together we will make progress,” Air NZ chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said.

The demonstration will involve flights of up to 200km.

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