Vertical Aerospace and Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation Sign Strategic Agreement Advancing Air Mobility Certification and Regulatory Framework
Collaboration supports critical steps to enable commercial Advanced Air Mobility in Saudi Arabia
Vertical Aerospace (Vertical) (NYSE:EVTL), a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation, announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The collaboration seeks to help establish the regulatory and operational foundations needed to enable Advanced Air Mobility in Saudi Arabia.
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Vertical Aerospace and Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Sign Strategic Agreement Advancing Air Mobility Certification and Regulatory Framework
The agreement, which supports Vertical's strategy of working alongside regulators worldwide, will explore ways to support validation of Vertical's Valo aircraft type certification, support the development of regulatory frameworks for future electric aircraft operations, and prepare Saudi Arabia's aviation ecosystem for the safe introduction of eVTOL aircraft.
Another key component of the collaboration will be the exchange of technical knowledge and certification best practices with leading international aviation authorities. This is intended to help accelerate the development of globally coordinated approaches to electric aviation certification.
The signing ceremony was also attended by Gemma Stevenson, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for the Middle East and Pakistan, underscoring the strength of the UK-Saudi partnership and the shared ambition to advance future aviation technologies.
Alongside this agreement, a separate MoU was signed between Vertical and Cluster2 Airports Company, a leading Saudi airport operator, at the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday 20 July 2026. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation to explore, assess, and prepare for the development of eVTOL aircraft operations within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including evaluating the potential deployment of Vertical aircraft across Cluster2 Airports’ network.
Michael Cervenka, Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer of Vertical Aerospace:
"Saudi Arabia has demonstrated its bold vision for the future of aviation and transportation, and we are excited to be a part of this with GACA. Together, we have the opportunity to help establish a framework that enables safe, scalable and commercially viable Advanced Air Mobility."
Capt. Sulaiman Saleh Almuhaimedi, EVP for Aviation Safety and Environmental Sustainability at GACA adds:
"By working with Vertical Aerospace, GACA aims to build the regulatory capabilities, certification expertise and operational framework needed to safely introduce Advanced Air Mobility into the Kingdom, and to move forward the next generation of aviation."
The announcement marks another milestone in Vertical's growing global network of alliances and agreements spanning regulators, governments, airlines, infrastructure providers and aerospace companies working together to bring electric aviation into commercial service.
About Vertical Aerospace
Vertical Aerospace is a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation. Vertical is creating a safer, cleaner, and quieter way to travel. Valo is a piloted, four-passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the advanced air mobility market.
Vertical combines partnerships with leading aerospace companies, including Honeywell, Syensqo and Sonaca, with its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop the world's most advanced and safest eVTOL.
Vertical has c.1,500 pre-orders of Valo, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. Certain customer obligations are expected to be fulfilled via third-party agreements. Headquartered in Bristol, UK, Vertical's experienced leadership team comes from top-tier aerospace and automotive companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GM, and Leonardo. Together, they have previously certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems.
About the Saudi Aviation Program and GACA
The Saudi Aviation Program, which forms part of the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy and is enabled by Saudi Vision 2030, is transforming the entire Saudi aviation ecosystem to become the leading aviation sector in the Middle East by 2030.
The Program is unlocking US$100 billion in private and government investment across the Kingdom’s airports, airlines, and aviation support services. It will expand Saudi Arabia’s connectivity from 99 to more than 250 destinations through 29 airports, triple annual passenger traffic to 330 million, establish two global long-haul connecting hubs, and increase air cargo capacity to 4.5 million tons.
The Saudi Aviation Program is led by the Kingdom’s aviation regulator, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). GACA’s regulatory mission is to develop the air transport industry in accordance with the latest international standards, strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a globally influential player in civil aviation, and enforce the relevant rules, regulations, and procedures to ensure the safety and security of air transport.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Memorandum of Understanding with the General Authority of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to establish the regulatory and operational foundations needed to enable Advanced Air Mobility in Saudi Arabia; the Memorandum of Understanding with MoU with Cluster2 Airports Company to prepare for the development of eVTOL aircraft operations within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; the design and manufacture of our aircraft and the hybrid-electric variant, certification and the commercialization of our aircraft and our ability to achieve regulatory certification of our aircraft product on any particular timeline or at all, the features and capabilities of the aircraft, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including the building and testing of our prototype aircrafts on timelines projected, completion of the piloted test programme phases, selection of suppliers, the differential strategy compared to our peer group; expectations surrounding pre-orders and commitments; as well as statements that include the words "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "project," "forecast," "estimate," "may," "should," "anticipate," "will," "aim," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of future performance. Actual outcomes may differ materially from the information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including, without limitation, the important factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 24, 2026, as such factors may be updated from time to time in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.
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