Vertical Aerospace, a Bristol-based company developing all-electric flying taxis, is targeting commercial operations by 2028—provided it secures $700 million in funding. The firm plans to build a new factory at Cotswold Airport near Kemble, Gloucestershire, adjacent to its existing flight test center. This facility aims to produce approximately 25 VX4 aircraft annually.
In addition to manufacturing, Vertical Aerospace will expand battery production at its Avonmouth site near Bristol by constructing a new 30,000-square-foot facility, designed to support operations through 2030.
Founded in 2016 by Stephen Fitzpatrick, creator of OVO Energy, Vertical Aerospace focuses on electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs). Its VX4 model launches vertically like a helicopter, enabling it to operate in city centers. The company claims it can ferry passengers from Battersea to Heathrow in just 12 minutes.
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While the company is still searching for a full-scale UK production site, it expects to make a decision next year.
Chief Executive Stuart Simpson said, “Since launching Flightpath 2030, we’ve shifted from ambition to execution. Piloted flight tests, our hybrid-electric program, secured facilities, and greater cost visibility have meaningfully de-risked our plan and improved our financial forecast. With the final technical proof point—transition flight—expected by year-end, we now have a clear, efficient path to certification and large-scale commercialization, positioning Vertical Aerospace to lead the next era of electric flight.”
Vertical Aerospace has received around 1,500 advance orders for the VX4 from clients across four continents, including American Airlines, Japan Airlines, GOL, and Bristow. The company plans to deliver at least 175 aircraft by 2030—up from earlier projections of 150—and aims to manufacture 900 units annually by 2035.
The firm remains on track to complete transition testing—the final phase of its crewed flight program—by the end of the year and plans to begin hybrid-electric flight trials in 2026.
Vertical Aerospace first unveiled its flying taxi plans in 2020 and merged with special purpose acquisition company Broadstone Acquisition Corp in 2021 in a deal valuing the firm at nearly $2 billion. In May, the firm marked a milestone by successfully piloting a VX4 prototype flight across the UK countryside, a historic achievement in European aviation.