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The company plans to build its Valo electric air taxi at Kemble, with a first flight targeted for 2028 and certification still planned for 2029.
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Vertical Aerospace opened a converted hangar at Cotswold Airport in Kemble on 24 September and plans to build its Valo electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft there. The opening marks an expansion of its manufacturing space, not the start of Valo production. [1]
The 60,000 sq ft hangar is part of a refurbishment that has more than doubled Vertical’s space at the site. The company spent about £1.5 million on the new building and another hangar. [1]
Vertical plans to begin building the first Valo in the final quarter of 2026, following a critical design review, and is aiming for a first flight in 2028. Chief executive Stuart Simpson says the aircraft remains on track for UK Civil Aviation Authority type certification in 2029. Once certified, the company forecasts output of about 26 aircraft a year on two shifts, potentially rising to 37 with a third. [1]
The Valo is a redesign of Vertical’s VX4 prototype. Two piloted VX4 prototypes have made nearly 120 flights between them, while previously announced inter-airport demonstration flights are not currently a company priority. [1]
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