Perryville Regional Airport (PCD) unveiled public-access charging stations installed in partnership with BETA Technologies, an electric aerospace company based in South Burlington, Vermont on Tuesday.
These chargers are the first-ever electric aircraft chargers to be installed in the state of Missouri, and one of the first in the entire Midwest, unlocking new capability for PCD airport and the surrounding community as the future of electric aviation nears.
“I think we are seeing the future with this installation,” Perryville City Administrator Brent Buerck said. “BETA is a young company with incredible vision. This installation allows us to join them at the forefront of this technology as it is rolled out across the nation.”
BETA’s chargers are designed to be multimodal and interoperable, supporting the company’s own electric aircraft, other developers’ electric aircraft, as well as ground EVs. Given this wide-ranging utility, PCD has installed two charging stations — one Level 3 DC fast charger (350kW) located airside to enable electric aircraft charging; and one, Level 2 charger (7kW) located carside in the parking lot to enable ground EV charging. With these stations, the Perryville Regional Airport is well-positioned to support operations and recharge of the electric vehicles of today and tomorrow.
”We have seen the future of air transportation and are extremely happy to have worked with BETA to bring this technology to Perryville. We now stand ready to support the future of air travel,” said Perryville Mayor Larry Riney.
“As transportation continues to advance, it’s critical that we implement the infrastructure that will power these vehicles of the future,” said Nate Ward, BETA Technologies’ Head of Network Development. “This technology has the power to unlock a new level of connectivity and efficiency in a way that will shift the paradigm of how we move goods and people and will create economic ripples. We’re gratified to have such a forward-looking partner in Perryville Regional Airport, as these chargers and the utilities powering them will support operations for generations to come.”
Perryville’s airport was originally built to serve as a World War II training facility but has been owned and operated by the City of Perryville for more than 70 years. It boasts the longest runway between St. Louis and Memphis at 7,003 feet long and has undergone significant upgrades in recent years, including a new fuel farm and concrete ramps and taxiways. It is scheduled for a complete runway reconstruction in August of 2024. Buerck said, “Perryville Regional Airport has a storied history. It was previously home to North American Rockwell and Sabreliner Corporation. It has served as a test facility for Boeing and is a support runway for Scott Airforce Base. It is currently home to West Star Aviation, Helicopter Transport Services and now Beta’s brand new charging station. We are very proud of our airport and its contributions to Missouri’s economy.”
BETA Technologies is developing an electric aviation system designed to enable a more accessible future of flight. This system includes a multimodal electric charging network that the company is building out across the U.S. BETA has already activated chargers at fourteen site locations from Vermont to Arkansas to an Air Force Base in Florida - and has more than 54 additional locations in permitting or construction along the east coast and gulf coast.
