Vertical Aerospace’s Flying Taxi Gets Seating and Navigation Deals as Certification Push Continues

Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace, developer of the four-to-six-seat Valo electric flying taxi, has struck long-term agreements with two international firms as it pushes its aircraft development program forward, Business Live reported on October 19. South Korean aerospace seating specialist ANH Structure will design, develop, certify and produce a bespoke pilot and passenger seating system for Valo, while German navigation systems manufacturer NG LITEF — part of global giant Northrop Grumman — will supply the inertial reference system feeding position, attitude and heading data to flight-critical systems.

Chief executive Stuart Simpson said the two companies brought “specialist expertise and strong certification credentials,” adding that their selection “adds further strength to the world-class supplier ecosystem behind Valo and supports our strategy to deliver one versatile platform across multiple cabin configurations and missions.” The deals follow last month’s opening of an aircraft assembly facility at Cotswold Airport.

Vertical Aerospace was founded a decade ago by Ovo Energy boss Stephen Fitzpatrick and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021. The Valo program is described as moving “from an advanced design into an aircraft supported by the people, systems and industrial capability needed for certification and production at scale” — the honest milestone for a category where the step from flying prototype to certified aircraft is the hardest one.