Vertical Aerospace Completes World First Public Airport-to-Airport Flight

Business Wire

3 days ago

LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vertical Aerospace (Vertical) (NYSE: EVTL) ('Vertical' or the 'Company'), a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering electric aviation, today announces that it completed the world's first airport-to-airport piloted flight by a full-scale, winged tilt-rotor eVTOL designed for commercial service.
Following Flight Conditions and Permit to Fly approvals from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the VX4 prototype flew to the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), the world's largest military air show, where it will be on display from 18-20 July.
Inaugural airport to airport flight
On Wednesday, 16 July, the piloted VX4 prototype flew 17 miles from Vertical's Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport to RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force station which is used by the United States Airforce, reaching speeds of 115mph and an altitude of 1800ft. The flight marked the aircraft's first landing at a public location.
The inaugural flight, witnessed by a few thousand aircraft enthusiasts, showcases integration with real-world airport operations and builds momentum toward certified deployment.
Simon Davies, Vertical's Chief Test Pilot, who flew the full scale VX4 prototype, said: 'Flying the VX4 from airport to airport is a major milestone, and a powerful demonstration of the real-world capability of the aircraft. To bring it to RIAT, among some of the world's most advanced military aircraft, is a proud moment – and a powerful signal of the role that a new generation of aircraft will play in defence and special mission operations.'
Only electric aircraft to be showcased at the Royal International Air Tattoo
Vertical is showcasing its full scale VX4 prototype – the only electric aircraft presence at RIAT 2025 – as part of its broader strategy to unlock new hybrid-electric applications in defence, logistics, and special missions.
With the recent launch of its hybrid-electric variant, Vertical is positioned to deliver cleaner, quieter, and more versatile aviation solutions for a range of government and military use cases. Vertical's second-generation hybrid-propulsion system, which has been in development for 18 months at the Vertical Energy Centre, will be retrofitted into one of the company's VX4 full scale prototypes and is expected to commence flight testing in Q2 2026.
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: 'RIAT is a global stage for the most advanced, mission-ready aerospace technology, and we're proud to showcase how electric aviation will support the future of defence. Our hybrid-electric roadmap unlocks new capabilities for military operations, and Vertical's RIAT presence reinforces our commitment to playing a meaningful role in the future of military and special mission aviation.'
Visitors can see the VX4 prototype on display at RIAT from 18-20 July.
With over 200,000 visitors expected and participation from more than 25 nations, RIAT offers Vertical a valuable platform to engage defence stakeholders, investors, and the global aerospace community on emerging opportunities. The event is organised by the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, with proceeds supporting aviation education and youth development.
Peter Reoch, Head of Air Operations at Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, said: 'Great to see Vertical Aerospace and their prototype aircraft, which is based at Cotswold Airport, showing the innovation of aviation. It will be on static display for all three days at this year's Royal International Air Tattoo and will show visitors the future of sustainable aviation and electric powered flight.'
About VX4 hybrid-electric variant
New long-range variant will be adapted from the all-electric VX4, targeted for certification to the highest safety standards in 2028:
Range: Up to 1,000 miles, a 10-fold increase from its all-electric aircraft.
Payload: Configurable to carry up to 1,100 kilograms in the VX4's class-leading airframe capacity.
Stealth advantages: Low noise and heat signatures make the hybrid variant well-suited for sensitive missions.
Crewed and uncrewed capabilities: Hybrid-electric technology capable of being deployed autonomously, remotely, or with a pilot. Uncrewed capabilities can be seamlessly integrated into the existing Flight Control System being developed by Honeywell.
Mission resilience: Built off the VX4's industry-leading redundancy and damage tolerance, boosting confidence for mission-critical operations.
About Vertical Aerospace
Vertical Aerospace is a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation. Vertical is creating a safer, cleaner and quieter way to travel. Vertical's VX4 is a piloted, four passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions. Vertical will also be launching a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the advanced air mobility market.
Vertical combines partnering with leading aerospace companies, including GKN, Honeywell and Leonardo, with developing its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop the world's most advanced and safest eVTOL.
Vertical has c.1,500 pre-orders of the VX4, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Japan Airlines, GOL and Bristow. Certain customer obligations are expected to be fulfilled via third-party agreements. Headquartered in Bristol, the epicentre of the UK's aerospace industry, Vertical's experienced leadership team comes from top tier automotive and aerospace companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GM and Leonardo. Together they have previously certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the design and manufacture of the VX4, the features and capabilities of the VX4, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including the building and testing of our prototype aircrafts on timelines projected, completion of the piloted test programme phases, selection of suppliers, certification and the commercialization of the VX4 and the hybrid-electric VX4 variant and our ability to achieve regulatory certification of our aircraft product on any particular timeline or at all, the potential exercise of the Tranche A Warrants following the satisfaction of the performance conditions and the proceeds issued from such potential exercise, as well as statements that include the words 'expect,' 'intend,' 'plan,' 'believe,' 'project,' 'forecast,' 'estimate,' 'may,' 'should,' 'anticipate,' 'will,' 'aim,' 'potential,' 'continue,' 'is/are likely to' and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of future performance. Actual outcomes may differ materially from the information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including, without limitation, our limited operating history without manufactured non-prototype aircraft or completed eVTOL aircraft customer order; our potential inability to raise additional funds when we need or want them, or at all, to fund our operations; our limited cash and cash equivalents and recurring losses from our operations raise significant doubt (or raise substantial doubt as contemplated by PCAOB standards) regarding our ability to continue as a going concern; our potential inability to produce or launch aircraft in the volumes or timelines projected; the potential inability to obtain the necessary certifications for production and operation within any projected timeline, or at all; the inability for our aircraft to perform at the level we expect and may have potential defects; our history of losses and the expectation to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future; the market for eVTOL aircraft being in a relatively early stage; any accidents or incidents involving eVTOL aircraft could harm our business; our dependence on partners and suppliers for the components in our aircraft and for operational needs; the potential that certain strategic partnerships may not materialize into long-term partnership arrangements; all of the pre-orders received are conditional and may be terminated at any time and any predelivery payments may be fully refundable upon certain specified dates; any circumstances; any potential failure to effectively manage our growth; our inability to recruit and retain senior management and other highly skilled personnel; we have previously identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting which if we fail to properly remediate, could adversely affect our results of operations, investor confidence in us and the market price of our ordinary shares; as a foreign private issuer we follow certain home country corporate governance rules, are not subject to U.S. proxy rules and are subject to Exchange Act reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of a U.S. domestic public company; and the important factors discussed under the caption 'Risk Factors' in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC') on March 11, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time in the Company's other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.