Vertical Aerospace, the Bristol-based developer of a four-to-six seater 'flying taxi', has secured two significant deals as it advances its aircraft development programme. The company has formed long-term partnerships with South Korean aerospace seating specialist ANH Structure and German navigation systems manufacturer NG LITEF, part of Northrop Grumman.
Under the agreements, ANH Structure will design, develop, certify and produce a bespoke pilot and passenger seating system for Vertical Aerospace's Valo electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. NG LITEF will provide the aircraft's inertial reference system, delivering position, attitude and heading data to flight-critical systems.
Supplier Ecosystem Strengthened
Stuart Simpson, chief executive of Vertical Aerospace, said the two companies brought "specialist expertise and strong certification credentials" to the operation. "Their selection adds further strength to the world-class supplier ecosystem behind Valo and supports our strategy to deliver one versatile platform across multiple cabin configurations and missions," he said.
"Valo is progressing from an advanced design into an aircraft supported by the people, systems and industrial capability needed for certification and production at scale."
Hyonsu Ahn, chief executive of ANH Structure, said: "We are proud to work alongside Vertical on developing a seating system for Valo's cabin configurations which aligns with their vision for passenger safety and high-end customer experience. We look forward to leveraging our lightweight, safety-led seat architecture and certification capabilities to support the Vertical team through design, certification and production."
Company Background and Recent Milestones
Vertical Aerospace was founded by Ovo Energy boss Stephen Fitzpatrick a decade ago and operates from Chapel St in Bristol. The company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021. Last month, it launched an aircraft assembly facility at Cotswold Airport, which executives welcomed as a "major milestone" as the business moves from prototype development and flight testing of Valo towards certification and commercial manufacturing.
The firm revealed in September that the new facility marked the initial phase of a planned manufacturing expansion and would deliver the capacity needed to construct certification-conforming aircraft as it works towards securing Type Certification in 2029. Vertical Aerospace is also working on electric, hybrid-electric and autonomous versions of its aircraft for both commercial and defence sectors.
Commercial Partnerships and Pre-Orders
The company has already struck a number of commercial partnerships with aerospace companies including Honeywell, Syensqo and Sonaca. It also has around 1,500 pre-orders for Valo, with customers spanning four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines.
Earlier this year, Vertical Aerospace secured a fresh injection of cash including $40m from US-based Mudrick Capital Management and a $25m issuance from Yorkville Advisors, two major current stakeholders.
