What aircraft types are covered under the e-Smart and SLI lease agreement?

The agreement covers up to 20 BETA Technologies aircraft in two variants: the ALIA CX300, a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) electric aircraft, and the ALIA A250, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) electric aircraft. Both will initially be deployed for air cargo operations in Europe.

How does the SLI operating lease benefit e-Smart Group?

The operating lease structure converts e-Smart's original purchase commitment into monthly fixed payments, shifting costs from CapEx to OpEx. SLI owns the aircraft while e-Smart operates them, providing a non-dilutive financing solution that preserves capital flexibility.

What is SLI's track record in electric aviation financing?

SLI, the aerospace subsidiary of the Libra Group, has accumulated orders for up to 190 electric aircraft and autonomous cargo drones. The e-Smart deal is among the first cases of a BETA aircraft operator building its fleet through a leasing model.

e-Smart Group and SLI Sign Lease Agreement for Up to…

e-Smart Group and SLI Sign Lease Agreement for Up to 20 BETA All-Electric Aircraft

Global air logistics platform e-Smart Group has signed an agreement with aerospace asset finance specialist SLI to acquire up to 20 BETA Technologies all-electric aircraft via operating lease. The fleet will comprise BETA ALIA CX300 (CTOL) and ALIA A250 (VTOL) models, initially deployed for European air cargo operations as part of e-Smart's zero-emission logistics strategy.

about 3 hours ago

Highlights

e-Smart Group and SLI have signed an operating lease agreement for up to 20 BETA Technologies all-electric aircraft, converting a November 2025 purchase intent into an OpEx financing model.

The fleet will include BETA ALIA CX300 (CTOL) and ALIA A250 (VTOL) aircraft, with initial deployment focused on European air cargo operations.

SLI, a Libra Group aerospace subsidiary, holds orders for up to 190 electric aircraft and autonomous cargo drones, making it one of the largest AAM lessors.

Under the agreement, SLI acts as aircraft owner and e-Smart pays a fixed monthly lease rate, providing non-dilutive and flexible asset financing.

e-Smart targets zero-emission logistics for time-sensitive sectors including e-commerce, medical supply chains, and emergency freight.

Global air logistics platform e-Smart Group has announced the signing of a formal agreement with aerospace asset finance specialist SLI to acquire up to 20 BETA Technologies all-electric aircraft via operating lease, with initial deployment earmarked for air cargo operations in Europe.

Agreement Details

The deal covers a mixed fleet of two aircraft types:

BETA ALIA CX300: electrically powered conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft
BETA ALIA A250: electrically powered vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft

e-Smart had previously placed a letter of intent with BETA in November 2025 for up to 20 aircraft. The latest agreement with SLI converts that original purchase commitment into an operating lease structure, shifting expenditure from capital expenditure (CapEx) to operational expenditure (OpEx). Under the arrangement, SLI will serve as the aircraft owner while e-Smart leases the assets at a fixed monthly rate — providing a non-dilutive and flexible asset financing solution.

SLI's Role and Market Position

SLI is the aerospace subsidiary of the Libra Group, providing flexible asset financing solutions to the aviation and space sectors, including advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft. The company has accumulated orders for up to 190 electric aircraft and autonomous cargo drones to date. The agreement with e-Smart is also among the first instances of a BETA aircraft operator building a fleet through a leasing model.

e-Smart's Logistics Vision

e-Smart focuses on delivering logistics solutions for e-commerce and other time-sensitive industries, integrating digital logistics, consolidated cargo management, training, best-practice consulting, and aviation services on a single platform. The company anticipates that AAM aircraft will transform the logistics sector by offering zero-emission alternatives capable of replacing portions of road and rail freight.

Executive Perspectives

SLI CEO Praveen Vetrivel said: "We greatly admire e-Smart Group's vision for deploying next-generation aviation technology — creating an efficient and sustainable door-to-door logistics network connecting major logistics hubs with smaller regional centres. All-electric aircraft like the BETA ALIA family offer an ideal solution, particularly for time-sensitive applications such as e-commerce, medical logistics, and emergency supply chains."

e-Smart CEO Denis Ilin added: "Reaching an agreement with a strong financial partner like SLI Aerospace, which is committed to advanced air mobility, is one of the most critical elements of e-Smart Group's success in bringing electric aviation into the global air cargo market. Both SLI and e-Smart believe in this new technology and its long-term future — only by being sustainable both environmentally and financially can it become a true commercial success."

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