BETA receives $20m ‘public health preparedness’ grant
BETA Technologies has been granted a $20m multi-phase contract to work with the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR).
The contract will see BETA develop a pilot programme and deploy electric aircraft chargers at 22 locations deemed important to healthcare and emergency response operations along the east and gulf coasts of the US.
“The past few years have highlighted just how critical reliable and sustainable medical transport and emergency preparedness are,” said Kyle Clark, BETA’s Founder and CEO. “HHS and ASPR are on the front lines of these issues and we’re excited to be working with them on meaningful, capital-efficient solutions that benefit the public. We believe this work has the potential to increase access to healthcare and essential services for all types of geographies, including the historically harder-to-reach ones.”
BETA’s chargers will offer the infrastructure required to enable an Emergency Preparedness Platform (EPP) for HHS. Designed to be multimodal and interoperable, BETA’s chargers can support its own electric aircraft, other electric aircraft and ground EVs.
Charging infrastructure will enable HHS to create a network for delivering equipment, pharmaceuticals and patients. With its lower operational costs and increased utility in all-weather conditions, electric aircraft will offer higher usage rates and fewer missed transport opportunities versus today’s options, according to BETA.
Arlene Joyner, director of ASPR’s Office of Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) said: “We expect this work with BETA to give ASPR and other federal partners the ability to get vital materials and equipment to ground zero when other land-based modes of transportation are unavailable.”
Some of the 22 new charger locations are already operational today, including in Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas – with more soon to follow. The already-online sites utilise grid-tied energy – as will the remaining sites in construction.
The new chargers will also form part of BETA’s overall network it is building out across the US. The firm has brought 31 chargers online from Vermont to Florida to Arkansas, and has more than 50 additional sites in permitting or construction along the east and gulf coasts.
Jackson–Medgar charger now operational
Yesterday, BETA’s charging location at Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in Mississippi was brought online in partnership with Atlantic Aviation.
“We are thrilled to partner with Atlantic Aviation and BETA Technologies to bring this state-of-the-art infrastructure to Jackson,” said Rosa Beckett, CEO of Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (pictured centre). “This collaboration not only positions us at the forefront of the electric aviation movement but also strengthens our commitment to providing sustainable and innovative transportation solutions for the people of Mississippi. We welcome this partnership and look forward to the enhanced connectivity, economic growth and healthcare access to be gained for our airport, the Jackson area and the state.”
Additionally, BETA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State University to explore the use of next-generation aviation technologies for medical transport and disaster response.
