Locals and leaders gathered at the Heber Valley Airport Tuesday to get their first look at two electric planes, part of Utah’s plan to invest in sustainable, regional air travel.
The event came on the heels of state leaders formalizing plans to invest in the new technology. With the governor’s support, Beta Technologies, a Vermont-based company developing electric aircraft, has entered into a partnership with 47G, a Utah aerospace and defense group. Goals include adding electric infrastructure to airports and establishing a stronger regional air network ahead of the 2034 Olympics.
Matt Maass is the director of the Utah Department of Transportation’s aeronautics division. He said he envisions air travel becoming a bigger part of regional transportation in Utah.
“We can’t widen freeways anymore,” he said. “To meet the needs of the public and their travel needs, we are going to have to go vertical, and this is going to fit that vision.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has not yet certified these aircraft to transport passengers.
“But, you know, boxes don’t complain as much as passengers do, so the cargo piece is going to be able to be certified a lot sooner,” Maass said.
He said Beta Technologies estimates it will cost about $18 per hour to operate the electric planes, compared to the larger cargo planes used now to fly goods to small communities. He said those cost roughly $1,800 per hour.
Maass said Utah leaders have set the 2034 Games as their target for the air taxi project to achieve liftoff.
“Initially it’s going to be delivering packages, maybe medical supplies and stuff, into smaller communities, but eventually we will be carrying passengers in this,” he said, gesturing to the small electric plane on display. “The idea is that by the Olympics, that this would be another mode of transportation to move people around to different Olympic venues.”
He said the airplanes will use existing airport infrastructure, but UDOT will also study locations for “vertical ports,” similar to helipads.
The model plane on display Tuesday had rotors on its sides that provide vertical lift as well as a tail engine that kicks in once the aircraft is off the ground. Maass said that design means the electric planes won’t require long runways to get airborne.
“We will, of course, look at and study where the most ideal locations for those would be, so that it’s the most convenient for passengers that are going to be traveling, but at the same time, it’s going to be the least intrusive to the communities in which they exist,” Maass said.
Travis Biggs, the manager of the Heber Valley Airport, said the airport will also consider updates to support more electric aviation.
“We’re already looking at infrastructure expansion to support AAM, including charging stations and new facilities that will enable us to accommodate this next generation of flight,” he said.
AAM refers to “advanced air mobility.” Biggs said the Heber Valley Airport’s location is ideal to connect urban and rural communities with electric aircraft.
Heber City Councilmember Scott Phillips, a pilot himself, said he hopes the new technology will give rural communities easier access to health care.
“Being a pilot, I’d fly for Angel Flights, where we take patients from rural Utah, get them to a center where they can have medical care if they need it – mostly cancer patients,” he said. “That’ll be so much more effective and efficient with electric, air taxi-type aircraft.”
Along with county and city leaders, a dozen Wasatch High School students also stopped by to learn about the project. They’re part of a class studying to get drone pilot licenses.
Their teacher, Mike Cowen, said he was thrilled his students got a tour of the airplanes.
“This is right up their alley,” he said. “Just the opportunity for students to be around the future of aviation, especially here in Wasatch County – it’s just great for the students to have the experience, to be around the aviation industry.”
The planes displayed Tuesday can hold six people, including the pilot. So far, it’s unclear how much the future air taxi travel would cost passengers.
Emma Davis, an engineer with Beta Technologies, said the planes are designed for regional travel, for example, trips from Salt Lake City to Logan. The batteries take about an hour to charge.
She said she expects it will be a year to 18 months before the planes are cleared for passenger flights. That timeline will depend in part on the FAA, which on Monday suspended its rules for air taxi operations and pilot training until they can be reviewed by the Trump administration.
