Vertical Aerospace signs Héli Air Monaco to open up French Riviera routes

Vertical Aerospace and Héli Air Monaco announced a Memorandum of Understanding for the pre-order of Vertical’s Valo aircraft, opening a new chapter for sustainable air mobility along the Côte d’Azur. Valo - unveiled in London and offering a premium cabin experience - is targeting concurrent regulatory certification with the European Union and UK aviation regulators in 2028. Héli Air Monaco will operate Valo across its network, connecting destinations such as Monaco, Nice, Cannes and Saint-Tropez through quiet, comfortable, zero-operating emission flights.

Stuart Simpson, CEO, Vertical Aerospace, stated: “Vertical and Héli Air Monaco share a vision for cleaner, quieter and more efficient travel across one of the world’s most iconic coastlines. This partnership builds on today’s launch of Valo, our new aircraft, and accelerates our momentum toward bringing electric flight to market. Together, we will redefine air mobility across the Côte d’Azur.”

Jacques Crovetto, CEO of Héli Air Monaco, commented: “With Valo, we are reimagining the future of travel across the Riviera. By decarbonising our fleet of helicopters and dramatically reducing our noise footprint, we will be delivering a flight experience for our passengers that respects our neighbours, our environment, and shapes a sustainable future.”

Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Management Board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, said: “The arrival of electric vertical take-off aircraft extends our efforts in transforming and decarbonizing air mobility, particularly over short distances. Our region offers a unique opportunity to fly over the sea to directly connect the main economic, cultural, or tourist destinations. As an alternative to the helicopter, the eVTOL has its place in the air transport offering and can provide a new short distance mobility solution in the future, including toward the hinterland. The airports of the Côte d’Azur, a laboratory for the airport of tomorrow, with the second largest platform in France and the gateway in and out of a landlocked region, must support these new decarbonized modes of mobility.”

Jérôme Journet, Director of Civil Aviation in the Principality of Monaco, added: “We welcome the announcement of this new generation of aircraft, which promises a major step forward toward a decarbonized, quieter, and more environmentally-friendly aviation. The expertise developed in urban and regional air mobility places our region in a favorable position to support the emergence of more sustainable air transport solutions.”

This partnership signals an important step toward decarbonised aviation in Europe, enabling electric, quiet operations on some of the world’s busiest air taxi routes around Nice airport. The deployment of Valo will help preserve the Riviera’s environment while elevating the region’s premium hospitality and travel offering. Héli Air Monaco will integrate Valo into its high-end mobility services, offering seamless transfers between airports and heliports.

Valo’ premium, spacious cabin expects to initially seat four and later six passengers, with panoramic windows, generous personal space, and capacity for six cabin bags and six check-in bags - setting a new standard of comfort for the region. Valo is designed to be certified to Europe’s 10-9 safety standard, reflecting the highest levels of commercial aviation safety globally. The partnership is being supported by Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur and Monaco Heliport, to develop the infrastructure adaptations required for Valo’s future operations.