Vertical Aerospace Brings Valo to New York, Outlining Plans for Electric Air Taxi Routes
- Valo makes its U.S. debut as Vertical shares plans for electric air travel routes in and out of Manhattan with Bristow and Skyports Infrastructure
- The routes would cut multi-hour journeys to minutes by air
- Valo will be on public display at the Classic Car Club in NYC on 23 January 2026
Vertical Aerospace (NYSE:EVTL) launches its U.S. tour in New York City this week, bringing its new commercial electric aircraft, Valo, to the U.S. for the first time alongside plans for electric air travel routes in New York with Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) and Skyports Infrastructure.
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Vertical's plans for an electric air-taxi network in New York, launched with Skyports Infrastructure and Bristow
The U.S. tour builds on Valo's unveiling in London in December 2025 and marks the next step in Vertical's global engagement with customers, investors, regulators, and partners ahead of entry into service following regulatory approval currently expected in 2028.
Introducing Valo to the U.S.
Valo is Vertical's certification-ready aircraft, designed to fly up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 150 mph with zero operating emissions, and engineered to meet airliner-level safety standards.
Valo's premium cabin will launch with four seats, offering panoramic windows, generous personal space and class-leading luggage capacity. The aircraft's flexible design, shaped by extensive airline and operator input, enables expansion to six seats, with the potential to improve operator economics and lower fares for passengers.
The aircraft is targeting certification in 2028, enabling entry into service in the U.S. and globally with airline and operator customers including American Airlines.
Valo's arrival in New York marks the first opportunity for U.S. investors, customers, partners, and the public to experience the aircraft at full scale.
From Aircraft to Operations: Electric Air Travel in New York
Alongside the U.S. tour, Vertical is working with Bristow and Skyports on a range of future mobility solutions for Valo in the U.S., including routes in and out of Manhattan, New York. The plans will cut multi-hour road journeys to minutes, such as flying from John F. Kennedy (JFK) and other airports to Manhattan.
Informed by Bristow's global operating experience as the world's leading provider of helicopter transportation and Skyports' established skyport locations, including its Downtown Skyport in Manhattan, the plans focus on operational feasibility, infrastructure integration, and real-world use cases.
New York City represents a natural environment for advanced air mobility given its density, congestion, premium travel demand and existing heliport network.
Use cases being progressed in the New York City area include:
- Airport transfers: connections between Downtown Skyport and major regional airports, significantly reducing journey times for travellers, e.g., connecting JFK to Manhattan in minutes.
- Event travel: game-day access from Downtown Skyport to MetLife Stadium, potentially via established aviation facilities such as Teterboro Airport.
- Aerial sightseeing and air tours: departing from Downtown Skyport, taking advantage of Valo's large cabin, panoramic windows and quiet, zero-emissions operation.
- Weekend and leisure travel: connections between Downtown Skyport and East Hampton Airport, supporting premium short-break travel.
- Cross-town urban transfers: links between Downtown Skyport and heliports such as West 30th Street or East 40th Street, offering a quieter, lower-emissions alternative to conventional helicopters.
- Emergency Services – medical transfers within New York area, e.g., Westchester County Medical Center to New York University Langone.
This work builds on Vertical's recent UK collaboration with Bristow and Skyports, which outlines planned electric air-taxi routes from Canary Wharf to major UK transport hubs, including London Heathrow Airport, and demonstrates how electric aviation will be integrated safely and practically into existing urban infrastructure.
U.S. Valo Model Tour – New York Kick-Off
To mark Valo's arrival in New York, the aircraft will be on public display on Friday, January 23, 2026 from 09:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST at the Classic Car Club Manhattan, Pier 76, 408 12th Ave. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience Valo at full scale and learn more about Vertical's aircraft, technology, and certification journey. No tickets are required.
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said:
"The US Valo tour builds on the momentum from our London unveiling and a year of strong execution across testing, partnerships and certification. New York is a natural next step to explore how electric aviation could support urban and regional travel in the US, working with partners like Bristow and Skyports to keep safety, certification and real-world operations at the core."
Chris Bradshaw, President and CEO of Bristow Group, added:
"Bristow operates complex aviation services all over the world, from offshore energy to government and passenger transport. Exploring future eVTOL use cases in a market like New York allows us to apply that operational experience to new, sustainable aviation concepts as the technology and regulatory environment continue to mature."
Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports Infrastructure, said:
"Skyports creates and operates the essential infrastructure that will support the integration of new eVTOL aircraft into existing cities and transport networks. Evaluating potential use cases around Downtown Skyport helps demonstrate how our infrastructure could support a wide range of journeys - from airports and events to leisure and urban connections - as electric aviation develops."
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 Aciturri, 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
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. 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 partnership with Skyports and Bristow and ability to launch the projected routes and expected journey times; the introduction of the Valo aircraft; the certification and the commercialization of the Valo aircraft and the timing thereof; the design and manufacture of the Valo aircraft; the features and capabilities of the Valo aircraft; the completion of the piloted test programme phases including transition flight on the intended timeline or at all; the business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including capital expenditure requirements, which may be higher than anticipated; our ability and plans to raise additional capital to fund our operations; the assumptions underlying the Company's goals, including Flightpath 2030; the differential strategy compared to our peer group; expectations surrounding pre-orders and commitments; our plans for capital expendituresrecent leadership appointments and changes and their impact on Vertical and its programme development, capabilities and certification efforts, as well as statements that include the words "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "project," "forecast," "estimate," "may," "should," "anticipate," "will," "aim," "potential," "continue," "are likely to" and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation, the other important factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 11, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our 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. We disclaim 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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Justin Bates, Head of Communications
justin.bates@vertical-aerospace.com
+44 7878 357 463
Samuel Emden, Head of Investor Affairs
samuel.emden@vertical-aerospace.com
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