Vertical Aerospace is working to launch its electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in 2028.
The future of commuting could soon take off.
“It will transform urban transport around the world’s major cities,” says Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, as the company unveils its next-generation electric air taxi in the US, designed to transport passengers through busy cities in minutes instead of hours.
Britain’s Vertical Aerospace is developing an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, aimed at easing gridlock in megacities like New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo, where ground transportation is increasingly stretched to its limits.
Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 aircraft will be launched in mid-2028. (Vertical Aerospace)
The American Airlines-backed electric air taxi company wants to change the way people travel
Flying up to 150 miles per hour with a range of approximately 100 miles, the aircraft is designed to accommodate four passengers in a premium configuration, with the flexibility to accommodate up to six standard helicopter-style seats. It can carry multiple rolling bags and personal items, making it suitable for airport transfers and short regional trips.
The aircraft’s propulsion system is designed to be significantly quieter than traditional helicopters, an important factor for regulators and city officials concerned about noise pollution in dense urban environments.
“We designed this aircraft to meet the highest safety standards in the world, comparable to those of Airbus or Boeing,” said Simpson.
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Vertical Aerospace says the air taxi is intended for a wide range of applications, including airport transfers, city transit, aerial sightseeing, emergency medical flights, cargo delivery and defense operations.
“There’s government support here in the U.S., government support in Europe, in Asia,” Simpson said. “The product is here and ready to use.”
The company aims to certify its aircraft by 2028, allowing it to begin commercial operations in the US and globally shortly thereafter. Vertical Aerospace says it is working closely with U.S. aviation regulators, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation, as part of the certification process.
Production and delivery are expected to begin following regulatory approval. The company plans to deliver at least 175 aircraft by 2030, with a long-term goal of scaling up production to as many as 900 aircraft per year by 2035.
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In New York City, Vertical Aerospace has shared proposed route plans with partners including Bristow, a leading helicopter operator, and Skyports, which owns Downtown Skyport and specializes in air taxi infrastructure. Planned use cases include airport transfers, event travel, weekend and leisure travel, city commuting, aerial sightseeing and emergency services.
Vertical Aerospace chairman Dómhnal Slattery compared the rise of electric aviation to previous breakthroughs that reshaped the way people move around the world.
“If you think about flying, there have been three big moments,” Slattery said. “A hundred years ago, the Wright brothers were here in America. In the 1950s, jet engines changed the way people got around. And now we have electric aviation.”
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He added that the shift may be inevitable in today’s largest cities.
“People have gotten to a point in the megacities of the world, whether it’s New York, Los Angeles or Tokyo, where they simply can’t get around on the ground anymore,” Slattery said. “So the only way is up, to the highways of the sky.”
The company’s advancement comes as the U.S. government rolls out a national strategy aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric air taxis. Officials say the initiative could transform commuting, speed emergency response times, increase access to health care and change the way goods move through major urban areas.
As regulators, manufacturers and infrastructure providers move closer to bringing the technology to market, air taxis could soon become a visible part of daily transportation, cutting travel times from hours to minutes in some of the country’s busiest cities.
