Vertical Aerospace Opens Valo Assembly Center at Cotswold
Vertical Aerospace has opened a new 60,000-square-foot assembly center at Cotswold Airport to build preproduction certification Valo eVTOL aircraft and
Vertical Aerospace has opened a new 60,000-square-foot assembly center at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) on Thursday. The facility is designed to assemble certification-conforming Valo electric air taxi aircraft and up to 25 production units annually, with first assembly expected in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The center is a refurbished World War II-era hangar that was previously used by the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows aerobatic team. The company invested £1.5 million, approximately $2 million, in the conversion. This new Aircraft Assembly Centre brings Vertical's total footprint at the Gloucestershire airport to about 130,000 square feet, encompassing engineering, ground operations, and its existing Flight Test Centre.
Certification and Production Timeline
The company is targeting type certification with the UK Civil Aviation Authority by 2029. Initial production at the Cotswold site is aimed at up to 25 aircraft per year. A separate, larger factory for higher-volume production will be announced later in 2026, with a long-term goal of producing more than 900 aircraft annually by 2035.
Seven Valo aircraft are slated to support the certification campaign. Five will be used for flight testing and two for ground structural tests. Flight testing is scheduled to begin in 2028, with service entry targeted for the same year. The company recently raised about $100 million to fund this next development phase.
Aircraft Specifications and Development
The Valo is a tiltrotor eVTOL designed to carry four to six passengers. It has a target cruise speed of 150 mph and a range of 100 miles on battery power. Vertical operates a fleet of three VX4 prototypes, with the final one rolled out in December 2025.
| Specification | Target Performance |
|---|---|
| Passenger Capacity | 4 to 6 people |
| Cruise Speed | 150 mph (241 km/h) |
| Range (battery) | 100 miles (161 km) |
The facility will also host the retrofit of an existing prototype into a hybrid-electric demonstrator. Flight testing for this longer-range configuration is scheduled for the first half of 2027. A static production-spec Valo with a four-seat cabin was displayed at the opening, configured for VIP transport but adaptable for roles like air ambulance duties.
Strategic Position and Orders
Vertical Aerospace is actively reviewing strategic alternatives, including potential partnerships, with Jefferies acting as financial advisor. The company has secured conditional pre-orders for the Valo valued at approximately $6 billion from customers including American Airlines and Iberojet.
Key components are being sourced from UK-based firms. The electric motors will be supplied by Evolito, a Bicester-based company spun out from axial-flux motor specialist YASA. Vertical is also expanding its battery operations at Avonmouth, near Bristol, with a new 30,000-square-foot addition intended to triple production capacity.
The company employs around 500 people, with plans to scale up as it moves toward full-rate production. Fabrice Brégier, former CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, became Vertical's chair just days before the center opened. Vertical plans to announce the location of a separate factory for higher-volume production later in 2026.
