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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