I saw a futuristic electric air taxi that costs $28 an hour to fly. Meet the Alia 250.

• Beta Technologies wants to revolutionize air travel with the electric Alia 250 flying taxi.
• The aircraft can be fitted for passengers or cargo, and it costs $28 per hour in energy use.
• I saw it zip over Burlington in formation with its sister aircraft, the Alia CX300.

And safety remains a key challenge, as the company must demonstrate that the aircraft is reliable enough for routine passenger flights, while scaling will depend on regulatory approvals and raising capital.

The company also faces growing competition from Joby and Archer as they race to commercialize their own eVTOLs and capture a share of the emerging urban air mobility market.