Vertical Aerospace, a Bristol-based company leading the way in the development of flying electric taxis, has made European aviation history by successfully piloting a flight across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ countryside.
The firm's VX4 prototype completed its inaugural "wingborne" flight last week, soaring over the Cotswolds before landing like a traditional aircraft at a nearby airport, as reported by .
This achievement marks a significant step towards the commercial deployment of eVTOLs, or electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
The technology is viewed as a key component in the transition to sustainable air travel, and Vertical claims its VX4 model will be capable of transporting passengers from Battersea to Heathrow in just 12 minutes.
The company aims to launch first-use flights in 2028, carrying four passengers up to 100 miles. Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, hailed the achievement, saying: "This is a fantastic milestone for Vertical and for the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's world-class aerospace sector."
He added: "Breakthroughs like this show how government and business can work together to keep the º£½ÇÊÓƵ at the cutting edge of innovation."
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's aviation regulator, approved the flight after reviewing thousands of pages of safety documentation.
Vertical Aerospace reaches another milestone
This follows Vertical's successful piloted hover flight of one of its aircraft back in January.
Stuart Simpson, chief executive of Vertical Aerospace, expressed the significance of a recent achievement: "Achieving piloted wingborne flight in open airspace under the oversight of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ CAA is an important moment in our certification journey."
He emphasised the importance of safety and regulatory compliance: "Operating under the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's rigorous regulatory framework means we share the burden of safety with our regulator – every step must be approved, and that's by design. It amounts to a mini certification of our prototype and gives us a clearer, faster path to type certification."
Simon Davies, who piloted the test flight, was pleased with the aircraft's performance: "The firm's performance predictions had been absolutely spot on, and the aircraft took off as a natural extension of all the ground tests and preparation we've done."
He shared his satisfaction with the flying experience: "There are aircraft which are safe and capable but not always enjoyable to fly. The VX4 was not only safe but was an absolute pleasure."
