Vertical Aerospace, a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation, concluded a landmark Farnborough International Airshow after a week of major milestones that demonstrated the maturity of its technology, the strength of the ecosystem supporting commercial electric aviation, and its continued execution against certification, manufacturing and commercialization strategy.

Historic Public Flight Demonstrations

The week began with Vertical making history by completing the first public electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) transition flight demonstration at the Farnborough International Airshow. The aircraft successfully transitioned from vertical take-off to wing-borne flight before returning to a vertical landing, showcasing how it will operate in real world environments without the need for a runway. Vertical continued successful demonstration flights throughout the week in front of tens of thousands of visitors.

Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “This week at Farnborough showed that electric aviation is moving from promise to progress. From our historic public transition flight to new customers, partnerships and government support, we’ve demonstrated that commercialising a new class of aircraft takes more than breakthrough technology – it takes an ecosystem. We’re proud to be helping build that ecosystem and bringing the future of flight closer to reality.”

UK Government Support and Industrialisation

Alongside the piloted flight demonstrations, Vertical announced it is in advanced discussions with the UK Government on a package of support worth up to £10 million ($13.5 million) to establish its first full-scale production facilities in the UK, highlighting the UK’s commitment to building a world-leading advanced air mobility industry. During the week, the new Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, visited Vertical’s stand and attended a demonstration flight.

The Company’s manufacturing plans are intended to support future production scale-up as Vertical moves from flight testing toward certification and entry into service. During the week, Vertical also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UK Export Finance to explore future export and customer financing support as the Company scales production and serves international markets.

This government momentum, was further expanded with the announcement of a £3.4 million UK Government backed ECLiPSE programme led by Vertical Aerospace to develop next-generation charging and thermal management technologies for electric aircraft.

Defence and Autonomous Capabilities

Vertical also continued to expand its autonomous defence capabilities through its partnership with Near Earth Autonomy, while the Ministry of Defence confirmed its interest in the Company’s eVTOL, hybrid-electric and autonomous technologies, with ongoing engagement to explore future dual-use applications.

Ecosystem and Global Partnerships

Beyond technology and industrialisation, Vertical continued to build the ecosystem needed to bring electric aviation into commercial service. This included:

• Joining Honeywell Aerospace’s Project VERTI-GO, a major European initiative to help safely integrate eVTOL aircraft into shared airspace – Europe’s equivalent of the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP).
• Signing of separate new customer agreements with Sigma Air Mobility, an advanced air mobility operator and member of the Luxaviation Group, and with VIC Properties to explore premium urban air mobility services in Portugal.
• A strategic regulatory collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), and a separate MoU with Cluster2 Airports Company, a leading Saudi airport operator.

Path to Certification and Entry into Service

Vertical’s Farnborough announcements build on continued progress toward certification of its Valo aircraft and its target of achieving Type Certification in 2029. The company is advancing through a structured flight‑test and design‑approval programme, using piloted full-scale prototypes to de-risk the path to certification.

In parallel, Vertical is investing in UK manufacturing and battery facilities and working closely with regulators, air navigation service providers, and infrastructure partners to ensure Valo can be safely integrated into existing airspace and operated under emerging eVTOL rules. This combined focus on technology, regulation, and industrial readiness is designed to support a smooth path from certification to commercial entry into service on key urban and airport‑shuttle routes.