by Elsie Clark | Apr 7, 2026 | Innovation
UK advanced air mobility (AAM) developer Vertical Aerospace have completed the first piloted transition test flight of their Valo eVTOL.
Taking place on April 2 in Gloucestershire, UK, the test saw the aircraft take off and land in a simulation of a runway environment. Vertical will next target the second half of a two-way transition system, where Valo takes off and lands vertically.
David King, chief engineer at Vertical Aerospace, said,
Completing this piloted transition milestone is a profound achievement and the result of years of engineering innovation and disciplined test execution.
The aircraft performed exactly as designed, transitioning smoothly and under full control – proving the core elements of Vertical’s distributed electric propulsion and tiltrotor technology at full scale, in real flight conditions. This is not yet final mission accomplished, but it is a pivotal technical proof point on our path to two-way transition.
The test flight took place under the Permit to Fly programme, run by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in partnership with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Based in Southwest England, Vertical report 1,500 pre-orders for Valo and recently announced a funding package worth US$850 million to continue aircraft development.
In February, the company courted controversy when rival American eVTOL developers Archer announced they were suing Vertical for patent infringement. Both firms have pitched potential New York air taxi networks, while Archer has threatened Vertical on home turf by establishing a base in Bristol, UK. Vertical dismissed the claims, stating Archer made them to distract from challenges in the competitive air taxi market.
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by Elsie Clark | Feb 25, 2026 | Innovation
Archer Aviation have sued British rivals Vertical Aerospace, claiming the company’s latest Valo eVTOL design infringes the patent for their Midnight air taxi.
The California-based company has been ramping up testing of Midnight as it plans for certification from the Federal Aviation Authority (AAM). A spokesperson for Archer argued:
After years of developing its VX4 aircraft, Vertical has abandoned that design and unveiled a new aircraft, Valo, which is a visual mimic of Archer’s Midnight aircraft’s award-winning industrial design.
They added that Vertical had ‘knowingly, willfully’ copied Archer’s designs, including flight control systems and methods for managing battery power and flight propulsion. Vertical have dismissed Archer’s lawsuit as ‘without merit’, asserting that the company are attempting to distract the media from wider problems associated with its eVTOL development programme.
In a statement, Vertical said:
Archer’s claims are merely an attempt to distract from Archer’s challenges competing in the marketplace. Vertical has developed a robust aircraft design with a clear path to certification, underpinned by Vertical’s proprietary and market-leading technology and international IP portfolio.
Archer and Vertical’s rivalry has grown more intense in recent years as both companies struggle to gain leverage in an increasingly competitive AAM market. In February this year, Archer announced they were establishing a new base in Bristol, UK, the city where Vertical are headquartered. Meanwhile, Vertical challenged Archer and Joby, another competitor in the space, by announcing plans for a New York air taxi network. Neither company is certified in the US, UK, or abroad as both try to prove eVTOL networks can be safe and efficient modes of transport.
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by Elsie Clark | Jan 22, 2026 | Innovation
Vertical Aerospace, a UK eVTOL company, is directly taking on its competitors with plans to launch a New York air taxi network as early as 2028.
The company’s Valo aircraft will debut before American investors on January 23 in Manhattan. To align with this meeting, Vertical have announced a potential route map for commercial service across the biggest metropolis in the US. In collaboration with Bristow Group and Skyports Infrastructure, Vertical would open a hub in Downtown Manhattan to connect with the airports around the city: JFK, Newark, East Hampton, and Teterboro. Potential links could also be added to the MetLife Stadium, other heliports, and medical sites such as Westchester County Medical Center.
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said:
New York is a natural next step to explore how electric aviation could support urban and regional travel in the US, working with partners like Bristow and Skyports to keep safety, certification and real-world operations at the core.
The company has already unveiled prospective plans for a UK air taxi network that would see Valo connect Canary Wharf in London to Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, as well as the important academic research centres of Oxford and Cambridge.
Rivals Archer and Joby have both released their own plans for vertiport networks across New York. Both companies have also signed development agreements with countries in the Middle East, with Joby expected to launch a commercial eVTOL service in Dubai later this year. Archer meanwhile have continued US testing in a bid for certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Their Midnight aircraft is expected to launch in time to provide connections at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
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