Flying taxis one step closer as Bristol company expands Cotswold base
The milestone could mark the shift from making prototypes to production-ready flying taxis
A Bristol company is leading the UK closer to the world of flying cars, after opening the country's first air taxi assembly centre in Gloucestershire.
Located at Cotswold Airport, Vertical Aerospace's Aircraft Assembly Centre will enable the company to scale up its manufacturing of Valo taxis - which take off like a helicopter, carry four passengers and can fly up to a hundred miles without producing any operating emissions.
The move's being funded through a £1.5 million investment, and will add 60,000 square feet of operational and aircraft assembly space to Vertical’s existing Cotswold Airport campus, meaning the company now operates approximately 130,000 square feet at the airport across engineering, aircraft assembly, ground operations and flight-test activities.
It's hoped, once up and running, the facility will assemble more than 25 Valo aircraft annually during early production.
There are also plans for a separate full-scale production site, intended to support higher-volume manufacturing, expected to be announced later this year.
"A once-in-a-generation opportunity"
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “Opening our Aircraft Assembly Centre is an important step in Vertical’s transition from prototype developer to aircraft manufacturer, and another milestone delivered as we advance Valo towards certification.
"This facility gives us the capability we need to assemble our certification aircraft and support initial customer deliveries, while maintaining capital discipline as we prepare for higher-volume production.
"Bringing a new category of aircraft to market is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and it is especially rewarding to do that here in Great Britain, drawing on the country’s proud aviation heritage.
"By bringing aircraft assembly and flight testing together at Cotswold Airport, we can work more efficiently, reduce execution risk and remain focused on our target of certifying Valo in 2029.”
Minister for Reindustrialisation Blair McDougall MP said: “The opening of Vertical Aerospace’s new Aircraft Assembly Centre at Kemble is exactly the kind of investment we want to see more of as we work to reindustrialise Britain, creating high-skilled local jobs and strengthening our manufacturing base.
"Through our Modern Industrial Strategy and the ATI Programme, we’re backing UK aerospace businesses to invest and grow. This new facility will help turn British innovation into British manufacturing, and it’s great to see Vertical Aerospace’s ambitions take flight.”