U.K.’s Vertical Thinks U.S. Will Lead Way in Electric Air Taxis

Developer brings its flagship Valo to the U.S. and announces a network of New York City-area routes.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

Vertical brought a full-scale model of its flagship Valo air taxi to the Classic Car Club Manhattan in New York City last Friday [Credit: Jack Daleo/FLYING]

Key Takeaways:

Vertical Aerospace is aggressively introducing its Valo eVTOL air taxi to the U.S. market, aiming to compete with domestic rivals and attract further investment while leveraging significant preorders, including from American Airlines and Bristow Group.
Valo distinguishes itself with a larger design, offering greater potential passenger capacity (up to six) and superior cargo space, which Vertical believes provides a crucial advantage for operators seeking increased revenue and mission flexibility.
The company aims for U.K. and European certification by 2028, utilizing Europe's higher safety standards to facilitate easier "passporting" for market entry into the U.S. and other global regions, alongside plans for a New York City air taxi network.
Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric Valo variant to expand range and utility for diverse missions, and is actively seeking more capital to fund its certification and manufacturing goals.

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U.K. electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Vertical Aerospace this month brought its flagship Valo air taxi to the U.S., where it could compete with eVTOL designs from Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, Boeing’s Wisk Aero, and others.

Vertical has around 1,500 preorders, with about one-third coming from each of the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company will face more competition to sell its aircraft here than across the Atlantic, where European regulators have taken a more patient approach to eVTOL regulations than the FAA. But Michael Cervenka, Vertical’s chief commercial and technology officer, believes the U.S. is where the action will be.