and network sustainability

UPS Flight Forward adds innovative new aircraft, enhancing capabilities and network sustainability

UPS, together with its UPS Flight Forward subsidiary, plans to purchase electric Ver cal Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircra from Beta Technologies (BETA) to augment its air service for select small and mid-size markets. These aircraft will take off and land on-property at UPS facilities in a whisper-quiet fashion, reducing time-intransit, vehicle emissions, and operating cost.

The BETA aircra ’s 1,400-pound cargo capacity is ideally suited to more quickly and sustainably transport mesensi ve deliveries that would otherwise fl y on small fi xed-wing aircra . UPS’s use of the aircra will benefi t healthcare providers, thousands of small and medium-sized businesses, and other companies in smaller communi es. With a 250-mile range and cruising speed of up to 170 miles per hour, UPS will be able to plan a series of short routes, or one long route, on a single charge to meet customers’ needs.

“This is all about innova on with a focus on returns for our business, our customers, and the environment,” said UPS Chief Informa on and Engineering Offi cer Juan Perez. “These new aircra will create opera onal effi ciencies in our business, open possibili es for new services, and serve as a founda on for future solu ons to reduce the emissions profi le of our air and ground opera on.”

The avia on industry is focusing on small aircra , which UPS uses to serve many small and medium-sized communi es, to develop groundbreaking, sustainable electric-powered aircra . BETA’s aircra has four fi xed ver cal li propellers and one pusher propeller for forward fl ight. It can charge in an hour or less and produces zero opera onal emissions.

“We’re combining simple, elegant design and advanced technology to create a reliable aircra with zero opera onal emissions that will revolu onize how cargo moves,” said BETA founder and CEO Kyle Clark. “By u lizing ver cal takeoff s and landings, we can turn rela vely small spaces at exis ng UPS facili es into a micro air feeder network without the noise or opera ng emissions of tradi onal aircra .”

UPS has also reserved BETA’s recharging sta on for a seamless and fully integrated electric avia on system. The BETA charging sta on helps ensure safe and rapid charging of the aircra in under one hour and facilitates a quick turn for the loading and unloading of cargo. The charging sta on also off ers the aircra ’s ba eries a second life cycle.

A er the ba eries’ fi rst life cycle in the aircra concludes, they can be fi ed to the charging sta ons to recharge the aircra ’s onboard ba eries as well as UPS’s fl eet of electric ground vehicles. UPS currently operates more than 12,000 alterna ve fuel and advanced technology vehicles, and announced a commitment to purchase up to 10,000 Arrival electric vehicles.

BETA’s aircra are designed to someday operate autonomously as technologies and regula ons are established. UPS Flight Forward received the fi rst U.S. Federal Avia on Administra on (FAA) Part 135 Standard air carrier cer fi ca on to operate a drone airline and is opera ng daily revenue-genera ng fl ights with drones. The FAA cer fi ca on also enables UPS Flight Forward to fl y payloads of up to 7,500 lbs. either with an operator or autonomously.

Last month, BETA advanced to the next phase of fl ight tes ng, comple ng an interstate fl ight from its Pla sburgh, NY test facility to its Burlington, Vt. headquarters. In accordance with FAA protocols for experimental aircra to fl y beyond its home airport, BETA had to complete rigorous tes ng to ensure reliable and predictable behavior of the aircra . In the same week, the company set a new personal-best in range while also reaching 8,000 feet in al tude.

The fi rst ten BETA aircra are scheduled to begin arriving in 2024, with an op on to purchase up to 150 of the aircra .