U.K. Air Taxi Leader Delays Certification to 2029

Vertical Aerospace says updated timeline ‘reflects the rigour of certifying an entirely new class of aircraft.’

Jack Daleo

Monday, July 13, 2026 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Vertical Aerospace’s third and final VX4 air taxi prototype lifts off on its first flight on June 5, 2026. [Credit: Vertical Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Vertical Aerospace has delayed the certification of its Valo eVTOL air taxi to 2029, pushing back aircraft deliveries for customers like American Airlines by at least one year due to the rigorous certification process for a new class of aircraft.
The company is pursuing concurrent certification from European (EASA) and American (FAA) regulators, aiming for the stringent EASA SC-VTOL Enhanced standard (10^-9 catastrophic failure rate) to enable operations over populated areas.
Despite facing previous delays and a prototype crash, Vertical recently achieved its first piloted transition flight and obtained expanded flight testing privileges from the U.K. CAA, while also planning to open new assembly and battery production facilities.
Vertical is developing a hybrid-electric Valo variant, which could potentially enter service earlier for cargo or defense purposes, mirroring strategies of U.S. competitors to secure contracts and ease financial pressure during the certification process.

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American Airlines and other carriers who placed conditional orders for U.K. manufacturer Vertical Aerospace’s Valo, an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxi, will not receive the aircraft until 2029 at the earliest.

Vertical—considered the U.K.’s leading air taxi developer by virtue of being one of the only firms conducting routine flight testing—said Monday in a business update that it “re-baselined” its certification program, through which it seeks concurrent Valo type certification from European and American regulators. The new timeline puts certification in 2029, a one-year slip from the 2028 target the company announced in late 2024.