Regulations and Government
UK Government Issues Action Plan for eVTOL and UAS Operations
Strategy document published as the country awaits a general election this year
Vertical Aerospace VX4 eVTOL aircraft
Vertical Aerospace VX4 eVTOL aircraft could be operated in the UK by Virgin Atlantic Airways.

The UK government has pledged to back industry stakeholders in facilitating the launch of passenger-carrying, piloted eVTOL air services in 2026, with autonomous flights to be trialed by 2030. These ambitions are spelled out in the UK Future of Flight Action Plan, published by the Department for Transport (DfT) on March 18.

The document also envisages a demonstration of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) uncrewed aircraft systems in non-segregated airspace this year. The UK government wants to see BVLOS operations expanded through 2027, when it says they should be “routine in integrated airspace at scale.”