Vertical Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace is a British aerospace company that designs and manufactures zero-emission electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. It was founded in 2016 and is based in Bristol, England.

What the company builds

Vertical's aircraft is the VX4, a piloted design intended to carry four passengers and a pilot, with an expected range of more than 100 miles. The company has signed partnership and pre-order agreements with American Airlines, the aircraft lessor Avolon and Virgin Atlantic that cover up to 1,000 aircraft. Development and flight testing are run from the company's bases in the United Kingdom.

Where things stand

The VX4 prototype completed piloted hover flight testing in January 2025, after which the test programme moved on to low-speed manoeuvres. In April 2026 Vertical reported a piloted eVTOL transition flight, in which the aircraft moved between rotor-borne and wing-borne flight in one continuous flight. The company has said it aims to begin commercial flights in 2028. In 2024 Vertical secured an additional investment from Mudrick Capital to fund testing through the end of 2025. The programme remains in flight test rather than in service, and no type certificate has been issued.