Bristol aviation company Vertical Aerospace has expanded its operational facilities at Cotswold Airport, in order to advance the development and manufacture of its futuristic 'air taxis'.
The firm's new Aircraft Assembly Centre will be used for the initial production of its lightweight electric aircraft, Valo, which is designed for regional flight in urban areas, such as airport transfers.
With the ability to carry four passengers plus a pilot, Valo is part of a new category of aircraft the firm has labelled 'electric vertical take-off and landing' (eVTOL) – which is described as taking off and landing like a helicopter, but flying like an aeroplane.
The company has already had 1,500 orders of Valo from customers across four continents, including American Airlines and Japan Airlines, while routes have also been proposed for use in London, between Canary Wharf and Heathrow, Gatwick, Cambridge and Oxford.
Vertical says the lightweight aircraft would dramatically reduce journey times compared to ground travel – for example, cutting a Canary Wharf-to-Heathrow transfer from 60 to 90 minutes on the ground to 12 minutes in the air.
The new Cotswolds centre will be the first production facility of its kind in the UK, enabling the company to advance Valo from prototype and flight testing, to certification and initial commercial production.
It is an expansion of the firm's existing Flight Test Centre at the airport, adding 60,000 square feet of operational and aircraft assembly space to its campus, supported by a £1.5 million investment.
The facility is designed to assemble more than 25 Valo aircraft annually during early production, with plans for a separate full-scale production site, intended to support higher-volume manufacturing, to be announced later this year.
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: 'Opening our Aircraft Assembly Centre is an important step in Vertical’s transition from prototype developer to aircraft manufacturer, and another milestone delivered as we advance Valo towards certification.
'This facility gives us the capability we need to assemble our certification aircraft and support initial customer deliveries, while maintaining capital discipline as we prepare for higher-volume production.
'Bringing a new category of aircraft to market is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and it is especially rewarding to do that here in Great Britain, drawing on the country’s proud aviation heritage.
'By bringing aircraft assembly and flight testing together at Cotswold Airport, we can work more efficiently, reduce execution risk and remain focused on our target of certifying Valo in 2029.'
Suzannah Harvey, CEO of Cotswold Airport, added: 'We are delighted to support Vertical Aerospace as it enters this important new phase. The opening of the Aircraft Assembly Centre strengthens Cotswold Airport’s growing role as a hub for aerospace innovation and brings aircraft assembly and flight testing together in one location.
'We look forward to continuing to work closely with Vertical as it progresses Valo towards certification and commercial production.'
