Regulations and Government
UK Regulator Gives Vertical Aerospace More Control over Certification Tasks
The UK Civil Aviation Authority and EASA have agreed on how to jointly certify the aircraft
Vertical Aerospace VX4 eVTOL aircraft
Vertical Aerospace is preparing to start flying a second eVTOL aircraft prototype featuring more advanced systems than the first example it flew last year.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) this week expanded the scope of work that eVTOL aircraft developer Vertical Aerospace can do under the design organization approval (DOA) it received in March 2023. The UK-based company also announced on July 10 that an agreement has been reached between EASA and the CAA as to how the two regulators will collaborate over type certification activities for the four-passenger VX4 vehicle that Vertical wants to bring to market in 2026.

The extension of DOA means Vertical’s engineers can sign off compliance for an increasing number of technical areas, including items relating to flight controls, avionics, and electrical systems. The company said this will increase its capacity to complete certification tasks and streamline the process.