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Vertical Aerospace

eVTOL Manufacturer headquartered in Bristol, UK. (EVTL) vertical-aerospace.com

FAA Certification
In Progress
Aircraft
VX4
Funding
NYSE listed (EVTL) + cohort (Avolon ~500-aircraft commitment, American Airlines, Microsoft M12, Rolls-Royce equity)
Active Markets
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Vertiports
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Corridors
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Ecosystem Intelligence

Vertical Aerospace’s named counterparty graph

13 counterpartyies across 17 disclosed relationships — all sourced from primary disclosures (SEC 10-Ks, counterparty press releases) with verbatim source language attached. Click any counterparty to see the underlying filing.

Aircraft purchase commitments
Bristow — Bristow Group press release (June 12 2025): "Under the memorandum of understanding between the companies, Bristow has also placed a pre-order for up to 50 VX4, with the option to purchase up to 50 more." Up to 100 VX4 ai… [source]
American Airlines — American Airlines pre-order, subject to certain future agreed-upon milestones and other terms, for up to 250 Vertical Aerospace VX4 aircraft — ~$1 billion notional pre-order commitment — with an option to order an additi… [source]
Avolon — 500 VX4 aircraft, $2B notional — the largest single-counterparty commitment in AAM history as of disclosure. Avolon's lessor model means the commitment is intermediated to downstream airlines: per Vertical/Avolon March 2… [source]
Virgin Atlantic — Virgin Atlantic option to acquire up to 150 Vertical Aerospace VA-X4 / VX4 eVTOL aircraft as part of the UK launch agreement (June 2021). Conditional / non-binding option rather than a firm purchase commitment, but count… [source]

Suppliers(7)

Manufacturing partners, component suppliers, and parent-services providers.

Molicel

· Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC)
E-One Moli Energy Corp.
supplies
aix:supplier:3JZ7T3JZ
TAIPEI· market focus: international
View source
suppliessince 2022-07-06
Joint Molicel + Vertical Aerospace press release (July 6 2022): "Vertical has now secured the supply of market leading battery cells to develop the VX4 through to certification and entry into service, working with Molicel to increase supply as the VX4 is brought into mass production." Molicel selected as the named battery cell supplier for the VX4 — high-power cylindrical lithium-ion cells. Relationship spans certification through entry into service, with a scale-up commitmen…
Press release →

GKN Aerospace

· Melrose Industries plc
supplies
aix:supplier:QLWM3QLW
REDDITCH· market focus: international
View source
suppliessince 2021-09-01
GKN Aerospace announced a development and production agreement with Vertical Aerospace for the wing structures and wiring system on Vertical's VA-X4 aircraft in September 2021. GKN delivers composite wings + empennages + Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) for the composites-intensive zero-emissions aircraft. GKN's Bristol (Filton) facility delivered Vertical's first complete eVTOL prototype in 2022. Vertical benefits from GKN's aerostructures design + manufacture…
Press release →

Hanwha Aerospace

· Hanwha Group
supplies
aix:supplier:6XTAT6XT
SEONGNAM· market focus: international
View source
suppliessince 2023-06-20
Hanwha press release (July 3 2023, MOA signed June 20 2023 at Paris Air Show): scope is to "collaborate on jointly developing, testing, and manufacturing the tilting and blade system for the VX4," extending an earlier EMA (electromechanical actuator) partnership. Battery cells are NOT in the disclosed scope — Hanwha's UAM battery work referenced elsewhere in Hanwha corporate communications is with LG Energy Solution, a separate program unrelated to Vertical Aerospace. This en…
Press release →

Honeywell

Honeywell International Inc.
supplies
aix:supplier:3POLN3PO
CHARLOTTE, NC· market focus: both
View source
suppliessince 2025-05-08
Honeywell press release (May 8 2025): "Vertical Aerospace, Honeywell Expand Partnership To Bring VX4 eVTOL To Market." Long-term agreement with potential $1B projected contract value over the next decade. Honeywell is certifying two critical VX4 systems: (1) aircraft management — including Anthem Flight deck (cockpit displays, software, controls, connectivity) — and (2) flight controls — including the compact fly-by-wire system. Honeywell inceptors selected for VX4 pilot hand…
Press release →

Leonardo

Leonardo S.p.A.
supplies
aix:supplier:BSPJNBSP
ROME· market focus: international
View source
suppliessince 2022-02-08
Leonardo press release (Feb 8 2022): "Leonardo and Vertical Aerospace to co-develop VX4 fuselage." Joint development program for the design, testing, manufacture and supply of the carbon composite fuselage for VX4. Initial scope covers at least six certification aircraft up to successful VX4 certification, with stated potential to scale fuselage production to 2,000 aircraft per year to meet Vertical's order book demand. Production focused at Leonardo's Grottaglie plant in Sou…
Press release →

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce plc
supplies
aix:supplier:JR47YJR4
LONDON· market focus: international
View source
suppliessince 2021-09-03
Rolls-Royce press release (Sept 3 2021): "Rolls-Royce is to design the system architecture of the whole electrical propulsion system, including 100kW-class lift and push electrical propulsion units, power distribution, and the monitoring system" for Vertical Aerospace's VX4 eVTOL. The supplier relationship spans the full electric propulsion stack — lift + push motors, power distribution, and the monitoring/health system. Vertical's subsequent press materials confirm continued…
Press release →

Syensqo

Syensqo SA
supplies
aix:supplier:EB6U3EB6
BRUSSELS· market focus: international
View source
suppliessince 2021-01-01
Syensqo press release: "Syensqo partners with Vertical Aerospace to support industrialization plan for the VX4 Aircraft." Long-term supplier partnership covering high-performance composite + adhesive materials for VX4. Original Solvay agreement (composites division pre-spinoff) signed in 2021. Per CompositesWorld: "Solvay will provide access to its extensive composite and adhesive qualified product portfolio and specialized technical and application support both at Solvay's E…
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Investors & commercial partners(5)

Equity holders, distribution partners, lessors, and customer commitments.

American Airlines

· American Airlines Group Inc.
American Airlines, Inc.
invests inpurchase agreement
aix:investor:4JRI74JR
FORT WORTH, TX· market focus: both
View sources
invests insince 2021-06-10
American Airlines press release (June 2021): "American Airlines Invests in the Future of Urban Air Mobility." $25 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) transaction in Vertical Aerospace. Part of the June 2021 Vertical investor cohort alongside Avolon, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, and Microsoft's M12.
Press release →
purchase agreementsince 2021-06-10
American Airlines pre-order, subject to certain future agreed-upon milestones and other terms, for up to 250 Vertical Aerospace VX4 aircraft — ~$1 billion notional pre-order commitment — with an option to order an additional 100 aircraft (total potential 350). On July 15 2022 American confirmed delivery slots for the first 50 VX4s with the first pre-delivery payment, formalizing the initial tranche of the larger commitment. Largest disclosed Vertical Aerospace counterparty pu…
Press release →

Avolon

· Bohai Leasing (China) — Avolon is majority-owned via Bohai Leasing's CK Hutchison-affiliated structure
Avolon Holdings Limited
invests inpurchase agreement
aix:investor:DMAGTDMA
DUBLIN· market focus: international
View sources
invests insince 2021-06-10
Avolon press release (June 10 2021): "Avolon and Vertical Aerospace announce world's largest eVTOL aircraft order" — up to 500 VX4 aircraft, $2B notional commitment. Avolon also took an equity stake in Vertical alongside Microsoft, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, and American Airlines as part of the 2021 funding cohort that preceded Vertical's NYSE listing. The equity dimension is captured here (invests_in) and the commercial-distribution dimension on the partners_with row below.
Press release →
purchase agreementsince 2021-06-10
500 VX4 aircraft, $2B notional — the largest single-counterparty commitment in AAM history as of disclosure. Avolon's lessor model means the commitment is intermediated to downstream airlines: per Vertical/Avolon March 2022 update, Avolon had already placed 450 of the 500 with sub-customers (AirAsia ordered 100 directly via Avolon, plus JAL and Gol). The remaining 50 slots are oversubscribed via options. Downstream airlines (AirAsia, JAL, Gol) are not yet modeled as separate…
Press release →

Bristow

Bristow Group Inc.
partners withpurchase agreement
aix:investor:X5GCDX5G
HOUSTON, TX· market focus: both
View sources
partners withsince 2025-06-12
READY-TO-FLY OPERATIONS DIMENSION. Bristow Group press release (June 12 2025): "Vertical and Bristow Partner to Deliver Full Service 'Ready-to-Fly' eVTOL Operations for VX4 Customers." Capital-light eVTOL operations platform: Bristow provides certified aircraft access, trained pilots, maintenance, and insurance — Vertical's current and future VX4 customers (American Airlines, JAL, GOL, Bristow itself) can launch services without building operational infrastructure from scratc…
Press release →
purchase agreementsince 2025-06-12
Bristow Group press release (June 12 2025): "Under the memorandum of understanding between the companies, Bristow has also placed a pre-order for up to 50 VX4, with the option to purchase up to 50 more." Up to 100 VX4 aircraft conditional commitment in addition to Bristow's existing 100-aircraft Eve order — making Bristow the first counterparty in EID with disclosed purchase commitments to TWO operators (Eve + Vertical, 200 aircraft total notional).
Press release →

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation
invests in
aix:investor:SCEKRSCE
REDMOND, WA· market focus: both
View source
invests insince 2021-06-01
June 2021 cohort: Vertical Aerospace closed a strategic investor round including American Airlines, Avolon, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, and Microsoft's M12. The cohort preceded Vertical's NYSE listing later in 2021. Microsoft's investment came via M12, its corporate venture fund.
Press release →

Virgin Atlantic

· Virgin Group + Delta Air Lines (49% stake)
Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited
partners withpurchase agreement
aix:investor:YCISWYCI
CRAWLEY· market focus: international
View sources
partners withsince 2021-06-10
Virgin Atlantic press release: "Virgin Atlantic partners with Vertical Aerospace." UK launch airline relationship + Joint Venture exploration to bring short-haul electric connectivity to UK cities and airport hubs (London Heathrow, Manchester, London Gatwick). Virgin Atlantic, Vertical, Atkins, Skyports, NATS, Connected Places Catapult, and academic partners formed the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium — awarded a £9.5M UK Future Flight Challenge grant.
Press release →
purchase agreementsince 2021-06-10
Virgin Atlantic option to acquire up to 150 Vertical Aerospace VA-X4 / VX4 eVTOL aircraft as part of the UK launch agreement (June 2021). Conditional / non-binding option rather than a firm purchase commitment, but counts as a disclosed purchase-agreement counterparty position.
Press release →
Methodology. Each row carries a primary source URL + verbatim disclosure language. Public reads filter on confidence:"high"; rows pending verification are not shown. AIX identifiers (right-aligned, monospace) are stable canonical IDs joinable with other AirIndex surfaces and the API.

Key Partnerships

Rolls-Royce
Honeywell
GKN Aerospace
Leonardo
Syensqo
Avolon
American Airlines
Virgin Atlantic
Bristow Group

Event Timeline

Nov 2025
MARKET ANNOUNCEMENT
Vertical Aerospace announces South Florida AAM network with UrbanV/Skyports partnership
Vertical press release
Aug 2024
FLIGHT TEST MILESTONE
Vertical VX4 completes piloted thrust-borne flight
FlightGlobal

Certifications

FAA TYPE CERT
FAA
VX4 dual EASA/FAA certification campaign — currently in piloted flight testing

Financing History

STRATEGICDec 2024
Lead: Mudrick Capital
Capital infusion via convertible notes restructuring
$75M

Last updated May 6, 2026

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