The BETA Technologies’ all-electric ALIA plane made a 45-minute flight from eastern Long Island to New York City Tuesday, becoming the first electric plane to carry passengers on a flight in North America.

The plane flew with a pilot and four passengers, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a release. It flew out of East Hampton Airport on Long Island and landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in the borough of Queens.

The demonstration flight was spurred by a 2023 request from the Port Authority for companies to try out their next-generation aircraft at a Port Authority facility, in this case JFK. The ALIA’s all-electric design also dovetails with the Port Authority’s zero-emissions goals.

“We’re excited about the potential for innovations like all-electric aircraft to ease regional travel while reducing emissions and noise pollution. We’re proud to embrace innovation and help lay the groundwork for a more efficient and environmentally friendly future of flight,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said.

The pilot was BETA Technologies CEO Kyle Clark, 45, who told The New York Post that “We’ve drastically lowered the cost of flying, increased the safety and reduced the noise of the airplane — all concurrently.”

The flight only required $8 worth of electrical power, according to the Post.

The plane is not yet approved for broader use by the Federal Aviation Administration. The demonstration flight was authorized via a marketing survey certificate, an FAA spokesperson told Newsday.

BETA Technologies expects FAA certification for the ALIA plane sometime in 2026.

“It’s gonna be a lot of hard work, more testing, so 18, 20 months from now, you can probably be flying one of these airplanes around New York,” Mr. Clark told WCBS-TV.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.