Vertical Aerospace completed world first public airport-to-airport flight

Vertical Aerospace completed the world’s first airport-to-airport piloted flight by a full-scale, winged tilt-rotor eVTOL designed for commercial service. Following Flight Conditions and Permit to Fly approvals from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the VX4 prototype flew to the Royal International Air Tattoo. On Wednesday, 16 July, the piloted VX4 prototype flew 17 miles from Vertical’s Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport to RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force station which is used by the United States Airforce, reaching speeds of 115mph and an altitude of 1800ft.

The flight marked the aircraft’s first landing at a public location. The inaugural flight, witnessed by a few thousand aircraft enthusiasts, showcases integration with real-world airport operations and builds momentum toward certified deployment.

Simon Davies, Vertical’s Chief Test Pilot, who flew the full scale VX4 prototype, commented: “Flying the VX4 from airport to airport is a major milestone, and a powerful demonstration of the real-world capability of the aircraft. To bring it to RIAT, among some of the world’s most advanced military aircraft, is a proud moment – and a powerful signal of the role that a new generation of aircraft will play in defence and special mission operations.”

Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, stated: “RIAT is a global stage for the most advanced, mission-ready aerospace technology, and we’re proud to showcase how electric aviation will support the future of defence. Our hybrid-electric roadmap unlocks new capabilities for military operations, and Vertical’s RIAT presence reinforces our commitment to playing a meaningful role in the future of military and special mission aviation.”

With the recent launch of its hybrid-electric variant, Vertical is positioned to deliver cleaner, quieter, and more versatile aviation solutions for a range of government and military use cases. Vertical’s second-generation hybrid-propulsion system, which has been in development for 18 months at the Vertical Energy Centre, will be retrofitted into one of the company’s VX4 full scale prototypes and is expected to commence flight testing in Q2 2026.

Peter Reoch, Head of Air Operations at Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises, said: “Great to see Vertical Aerospace and their prototype aircraft, which is based at Cotswold Airport, showing the innovation of aviation. It will be on static display for all three days at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo and will show visitors the future of sustainable aviation and electric powered flight.”

New long-range variant will be adapted from the all-electric VX4, targeted for certification to the highest safety standards in 2028:

• Range: Up to 1,000 miles, a 10-fold increase from its all-electric aircraft.
• Payload: Configurable to carry up to 1,100 kilograms in the VX4’s class-leading airframe capacity.
• Stealth advantages: Low noise and heat signatures make the hybrid variant well-suited for sensitive missions.
• Crewed and uncrewed capabilities: Hybrid-electric technology capable of being deployed autonomously, remotely, or with a pilot. Uncrewed capabilities can be seamlessly integrated into the existing Flight Control System being developed by Honeywell.
• Mission resilience: Built off the VX4’s industry-leading redundancy and damage tolerance, boosting confidence for mission-critical operations.