Beta Technologies

Beta ALIA CX300

VS
Textron Aviation (Beechcraft)

Beechcraft King Air 350i

Beta ALIA CX300 vs Beechcraft King Air 350i: Complete eVTOL Comparison 2026

Compare Aircraft / Beta ALIA CX300 vs Beechcraft King Air 350i

Quick Verdict

This is the head-to-head that matters for the cargo, medical, and regional charter operators Beta Technologies is actually selling into. The Beechcraft King Air 350i is the long-running incumbent — a twin-turboprop with 9 passengers, 1,800-mile range, 359 mph cruise, and decades of operator familiarity. The Beta ALIA CX300 is the electric challenger: a fixed-wing CTOL with a 250-mile range, 170 mph cruise, near-silent ~60 dB acoustics, and dramatically lower direct operating cost thanks to electric propulsion. King Air wins on raw performance and proven reliability. ALIA wins on operating cost, noise, and emissions for routes that fit its 250-mile envelope — which covers a meaningful share of UPS middle-mile and United Therapeutics organ-transport missions Beta is building toward.

Side-by-Side Specifications

Company
Beta ALIA CX300
Beta Technologies
Beechcraft King Air 350i
Textron Aviation (Beechcraft)
Configuration
Beta ALIA CX300
Fixed-Wing CTOL
Beechcraft King Air 350i
Twin Turboprop (Conventional)
Passengers
Beta ALIA CX300
2 + cargo
Beechcraft King Air 350i
9 + 2 crew
Max Speed
Beta ALIA CX300
170 mph
Beechcraft King Air 350i
359 mph
Range
Beta ALIA CX300
250 miles
Beechcraft King Air 350i
1,800 miles
Cruise Altitude
Beta ALIA CX300
4,000–8,000 ft
Beechcraft King Air 350i
25,000–35,000 ft
Noise Level
Beta ALIA CX300
~60 dB
Beechcraft King Air 350i
~80 dB at 500m
Certification
Beta ALIA CX300
FAA certification in progress
Beechcraft King Air 350i
FAA Type Certified (in service since 2009)
Expected Service
Beta ALIA CX300
2026–2027
Beechcraft King Air 350i
Currently in commercial service worldwide
Ticket Price
Beta ALIA CX300
Cargo-focused
Beechcraft King Air 350i
Charter rates ~$2,500/hr
Key Partners
Beta ALIA CX300
UPS, United Therapeutics, Blade Air Mobility
Beechcraft King Air 350i
Wheels Up, Textron Aviation fleet operators

Where Each Excels

Beta ALIA CX300

Far lower operating cost per mile
Electric propulsion eliminates jet fuel and dramatically reduces engine maintenance vs the King Air's twin Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprops. For high-utilization cargo routes, this cost gap compounds quickly.
Whisper-quiet at ~60 dB
ALIA at ~60 dB is roughly 20 dB quieter than the King Air at ~80 dB — a 100x reduction in sound intensity. That opens night operations, residential-adjacent airfields, and noise-restricted city pairs.
Zero direct emissions
All-electric operation means no CO2, NOx, or particulate emissions in flight — a regulatory and ESG advantage for operators like UPS targeting net-zero, and essential for organ transport into urban hospitals.
Built-in charging network
Beta is deploying its own nationwide charging network for ALIA — a vertical integration the King Air ecosystem has never needed and never built. That network reduces operational risk on Beta routes.

Beechcraft King Air 350i

7x the range
1,800 miles vs 250 miles. King Air covers transcontinental routes, multi-leg cargo runs, and any mission longer than ~225 miles. ALIA cannot reach those routes at all.
More than 2x the cruise speed
359 mph vs 170 mph. King Air halves the trip time for any route, which matters for medical transport, charter, and time-critical logistics.
9 passengers + 2 crew
King Air 350i carries 9 passengers and 2 crew vs ALIA's 2 + cargo configuration. For passenger charter and group transport, King Air is the only option of the two.
Decades of proven service
King Air has been in continuous production since 1972 with the 350i variant flying since 2009. The aircraft has a deep operator base, known maintenance economics, and zero technology risk. ALIA is still completing FAA certification.

Best For Each Use Case

Middle-mile cargo (50–250 mi)
Beta ALIA
ALIA's lower operating cost and zero emissions are decisive for repeated short-haul cargo runs. UPS's investment is built on this exact use case.
Long-haul charter (250+ mi)
Beechcraft King Air
ALIA cannot reach destinations beyond ~225 miles. King Air's 1,800-mile range covers virtually any North American charter route.
Organ transport to urban hospitals
Beta ALIA
Hospital helipad and noise-restricted urban airfield access is easier with ALIA's ~60 dB acoustics. United Therapeutics' partnership targets exactly this.
Multi-passenger executive charter
Beechcraft King Air
9 passengers + 2 crew vs 2 + cargo. King Air is the only option for groups.
Night operations near residential areas
Beta ALIA
ALIA's quieter acoustic signature makes night ops practical at airfields where the King Air would trigger noise complaints.

About the Manufacturers

Beta Technologies

AircraftBeta ALIA CX300
ConfigurationFixed-Wing CTOL
StatusFAA certification in progress
PartnersUPS, United Therapeutics, Blade Air Mobility
Learn more about Beta Technologies

Textron Aviation (Beechcraft)

AircraftBeechcraft King Air 350i
ConfigurationTwin Turboprop (Conventional)
StatusFAA Type Certified (in service since 2009)
PartnersWheels Up, Textron Aviation fleet operators
Learn more about Textron Aviation (Beechcraft)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why compare an electric eVTOL-style aircraft to a traditional turboprop?
Because that is the actual market Beta Technologies is selling into. The ALIA CX300 is a fixed-wing CTOL — it takes off and lands like a King Air, on a runway, and competes for the same UPS middle-mile cargo routes, medical logistics flights, and regional charter missions. Beta's go-to-market explicitly positions ALIA as the electric replacement for small turboprops on routes under 250 miles.
How much cheaper is ALIA to operate than a King Air?
Beta has publicly indicated direct operating cost reductions of roughly 50–70% on suitable routes, driven primarily by electricity vs jet-A fuel cost and reduced engine maintenance (electric motors have far fewer wearing parts than turboprop engines). Total cost of ownership advantage depends heavily on aircraft utilization rate and electricity pricing at the operating bases.
Can Beta ALIA carry 9 passengers like the King Air?
No. The CX300 is configured for 2 people plus cargo and is not positioned as a passenger air taxi or executive charter aircraft. For high-passenger-count missions, the King Air remains the appropriate aircraft. Beta is developing additional variants but the current commercial focus is cargo and medical logistics, not passenger charter.
Will electric aircraft like ALIA replace the King Air fleet?
Not entirely — and not soon. King Air's 1,800-mile range and 9-passenger capacity address missions ALIA simply cannot serve today. What ALIA can do is take share on the subset of routes under ~225 miles where operating cost and noise dominate the buying decision. That is a meaningful chunk of UPS, regional medical, and short-haul charter — but it is not the whole turboprop market.

Related Reading

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Beta Technologies IPO: $7 Billion Public Company

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