Vertical Aerospace achieves first public eVTOL transition flight at Farnborough

Vertical Aerospace demonstrated the first public transition flight of its full‑scale Valo eVTOL aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow on 20 July. Test pilot Simon Davies flew the four‑passenger prototype from vertical take‑off to wing‑borne cruise and back to vertical landing in front of an international audience. CEO Stuart Simpson said the flight proved electric aviation is moving from promise to commercial reality, noting the company has roughly 1,500 pre‑orders from airlines and operators including American Airlines, Japan Airlines and GOL.

The flight also highlighted the role of the UK’s National Composites Centre (NCC), which helped design the novel composite rotor blades and other structural components, and underscored the domestic supply chain, with about 60 % of Vertical’s procurement spend remaining in the UK. The demonstration supports the UK’s advanced air‑mobility strategy and the company’s partnership with Near Earth Autonomy for autonomous flight capabilities.