Tauranga, New Zealand, October 17, 2025 – The aircraft was manufactured in the United States by global aviation innovator BETA Technologies. It arrived in the country last week and was blessed at a sunrise ceremony in Tauranga. The aircraft is expected to fly to Hamilton Airport later today where it will be based before moving to Wellington Airport for a further two months in December.
The ALIA CX300 has been leased by Air New Zealand for four months for a technical demonstrator programme, which enables the airline, alongside partners and regulators, to learn how the aircraft will perform in New Zealand conditions, and to start pilot and engineering familiarisation. It’s also an opportunity for New Zealanders to see battery-electric aviation technology up close.
During the aircraft’s time in Hamilton, Air New Zealand and BETA teams will undertake a programme of flights in a range of conditions and altitudes. In December it will move to Wellington, where it will complete flights between Wellington and Blenheim.