Finance, Taxes, Insurance
Vertical Pushes Back eVTOL Certification, Says New Funding Will Come
UK company is not the only eVTOL aircraft developer facing delays in the launch of commercial operations
Vertical VX4 eVTOL prototype aircraft
Vertical Aerospace's VX4 eVTOL prototype aircraft is now conducting untethered piloted flight tests in the UK.

Vertical Aerospace is pushing back its target date to achieve type certification of its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft from 2026 to 2028. The UK company announced the timeline adjustment on November 12 while unveiling its new “Flightpath 2030” strategy to investors and financial analysts, which it said is based on an extensive review of its business plan.

With Vertical scrambling to raise further capital to support efforts to complete development work, its engineering team this week started the second phase of piloted flight testing with its full-scale VX4 prototype. With almost 90 test points completed during tethered flights that measured 35,000 flight and system parameters, the company has begun to fly the aircraft without tethers based on an expanded permit to fly from the UK Civil Aviation Authority.