Vertical Aerospace Starts 2025 With Piloted Thrustborne Milestone

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Vertical Aerospace Starts 2025 With Piloted Thrustborne Milestone

2025-01-08 17:03 Last Updated At：17:11

LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 8, 2025--

Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (“Vertical” or the “Company”) (NYSE: EVTL; EVTLW), a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering electric aviation, has taken another significant step in its testing programme by successfully completing its first piloted thrustborne flight manoeuvres.

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The milestone was achieved after the business received approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to expand its Permit to Fly, enabling Vertical to progress from piloted thrustborne hover to piloted thrustborne low-speed flight manoeuvres at altitude. The latest flight included roll, yaw and spot turn manoeuvres and was flown by Simon Davies, Vertical’s Chief Test Pilot.

Completing the initial piloted thrustborne manoeuvres at its Flight Test Centre made Vertical only the second company worldwide to achieve this critical step using a full scale vectored thrust eVTOL aircraft.

Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “Starting the year with this milestone is a fantastic achievement and testament to the dedication of our team and partners. Becoming one of only two companies globally to conduct piloted thrustborne flight manoeuvres in a full-scale vectored thrust eVTOL underscores the progress we’re making toward our Flightpath 2030 strategy and our vision to transform the way the world moves. The team is now focused on completing this phase while we prepare for the significant next step of wingborne flight.”

First thrustborne flight

Vertical’s VX4 aircraft has now progressed from piloted hover flight to piloted, low-speed manoeuvres using lift generated by the propellers. Thrustborne flights are designed to assess the aircraft’s stability, battery efficiency, control characteristics, aerodynamics, structural and dynamic loads and performance across different speeds, enabling further assessment of how the VX4 behaves under real-world flight conditions.

At the same time, Vertical will work with the CAA to expand its Permit to Fly, clearing the path for Phase 3 — wingborne flight tests. This phase, which includes flying beyond the airfield boundaries, will effectively serve as a mini-certification of the prototype, laying the groundwork for the VX4’s full certification.

Strengthening the Team

To support the growing demands of its flight test programme, Vertical has appointed Tim Eldridge as test pilot.

With over two decades of flight test experience in the Royal Navy, including testing aircraft such as the Sea King, Merlin, Chinook, and Lynx, Tim brings exceptional expertise to the team. His prior roles, including at Babcock, with whom Vertical is collaborating with on Emergency Medical Services (EMS), where Tim was a helicopter EMS pilot, as well as at QinetiQ and Airbus Helicopters further enhance Vertical’s flight test capabilities.

Notes to editors:

Piloted flight test programme explainer

Notes to Editors

About Vertical Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace is a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation. Vertical is creating a safer, cleaner and quieter way to travel. Vertical’s VX4 is a piloted, four passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions. Vertical combines partnering with leading aerospace companies, including GKN Aerospace, Honeywell and Leonardo, with developing its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop the world’s most advanced and safest eVTOL.

Vertical has c.1,500 pre-orders of the VX4, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Japan Airlines, GOL and Bristow. Headquartered in Bristol, the epicentre of the UK’s aerospace industry, Vertical was founded in 2016 by Stephen Fitzpatrick, founder of the OVO Group, Europe’s largest independent energy retailer. Vertical’s experienced leadership team comes from top tier automotive and aerospace companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GM and Leonardo. Together they have previously certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. We intend such forward- looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the design and manufacture of the VX4, the features and capabilities of the VX4, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including the building and testing of our prototype aircrafts on timelines projected, completion of the piloted test programme phases, selection of suppliers, certification and the commercialization of the VX4 and our ability to achieve regulatory certification of our aircraft product on any particular timeline or at all, our ability and plans to raise additional capital to fund our operations, the differential strategy compared to our peer group, expectations surrounding pre-orders and commitments, our future results of operations and financial position and expected financial performance and operational performance, liquidity, growth and profitability strategies, , our plans to mitigate the risk that we are unable to continue as a going concern, the transition towards a net-zero emissions economy, as well as statements that include the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “will,” “aim,” “potential,” “continue,” “are likely to” and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation: our limited operating history without manufactured non-prototype aircraft or completed eVTOL aircraft customer order; our potential inability to raise additional funds when we need or want them, or at all, to fund our operations; our limited cash and cash equivalents and recurring losses from our operations raise significant doubt (or raise substantial doubt as contemplated by PCAOB standards) regarding our ability to continue as a going concern; our potential inability to produce or launch aircraft in the volumes or timelines projected; the potential inability to obtain the necessary certifications for production and operation within any projected timeline, or at all; the inability for our aircraft to perform at the level we expect and may have potential defects; our history of losses and the expectation to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future; the market for eVTOL aircraft being in a relatively early stage; any accidents or incidents involving eVTOL aircraft could harm our business; our dependence on partners and suppliers for the components in our aircraft and for operational needs; the potential that certain strategic partnerships may not materialize into long-term partnership arrangements; all of the pre-orders received are conditional and may be terminated at any time and any predelivery payments may be fully refundable upon certain specified dates; any circumstances; any potential failure to effectively manage our growth; our inability to recruit and retain senior management and other highly skilled personnel; we have previously identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting which if we fail to properly remediate, could adversely affect our results of operations, investor confidence in us and the market price of our ordinary shares; as a foreign private issuer we follow certain home country corporate governance rules, are not subject to U.S. proxy rules and are subject to Exchange Act reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of a U.S. domestic public company; and the other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 14, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. We disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.

Middle East latest: Israeli hostage found dead in Gaza, military says

2025-01-09 05:05 Last Updated At：05:11

Israeli forces have recovered the body of a hostage held in Gaza, the military said Wednesday, adding that it was identifying additional remains that could belong to another captive. The recovery of Yosef AlZayadni, 53, from an underground tunnel comes as Israel and Hamas are considering a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be dead.

Palestinian medics said Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine people in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, including three infants — among them a 1-week-old — and two women. Israel’s military says it only targets militants, accusing them of hiding among civilians.

Israel’s air and ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza has killed over 45,800 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It does not say how many were fighters, but says women and children make up over half the fatalities. The military says it killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

And in Yemen, the U.S. military says it carried out a wave of strikes against underground arms facilities of the Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed Houthis have targeted shipping for more than a year and recently ramped up missile attacks on Israel, saying they seek to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Here's the latest:

NEW YORK — Family members of Americans being held hostage in Gaza are planning to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration later this month.

Representatives for the family members said they plan to meet with officials in the incoming Trump administration and members of Congress to urge them to prioritize the safe return of the hostages.

Seven Americans are among the dozens of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

Trump has sent his incoming special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, to Qatar this week for additional talks to work on their release. The Republican president-elect has threatened Hamas by warning that “All hell will break out” if the hostages aren't released.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is expected to defer to the incoming Trump administration to decide whether to lift sanctions on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its leader, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the outgoing administration’s thinking on the matter.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that the Biden administration has sought to take a careful approach on HTS, the new de facto authority in Syria after overthrowing President Bashar Assad.

The officials added that lifting a foreign terrorist designation is a cumbersome process and that it’s unlikely that the administration could come to a final decision on the matter with just 12 days to go before Trump takes office.

HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaida, met in December with the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, who led the first U.S. diplomatic delegation into Syria since Assad’s ouster.

The U.S. on Monday eased some restrictions on Syria’s transitional government to allow the entry of humanitarian aid. And the Biden administration in December decided to drop a $10 million bounty it had offered for the capture of al-Sharaa.

By Aamer Madhani

BEIRUT — A French journalist was released after the Israeli army detained him on Wednesday in southern Syria.

Sylvain Mercadier, who contributes to the French publication Marianne, was documenting Israeli military activity when he was taken into custody alongside his fixer, according to Marianne.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, said the journalist had come “too close” to soldiers on a number of occasions and did the same on Wednesday. He said the troops “took him shortly and then released him, understanding he’s not posing a threat.”

Mercadier said Israeli soldiers beat him while he lay on the ground and hit his colleague, Mohammed al-Fayyad, in the back of his head with a rifle butt.

“We were handcuffed and blindfolded. … We were threatened and humiliated,” he said in a post on X. They were left with cuts and bruises, notably where their wrists were tightly restrained, after more than four hours of what Mercadier called mistreatment.

“We had done nothing but do our work: journalism,” he wrote.

Mercadier said he was reporting near Hamidiye, a village in Quneitra province. Israeli forces captured the area last month, which lies in a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in Syria's Golan Heights.

He said he followed Israeli soldiers' orders to stop filming and allowed them to search his vehicle, but was arrested after he and al-Fayyad protested the soldiers' attempt to confiscate a laptop.

PARIS — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is again saying that a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is “very close” and he hopes “we can get it over the line” before handing over U.S diplomacy to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

“In area after area, we’re handing off, in some cases, things that we haven’t been able to complete but that create real opportunities to move things forward in a better way,” he said Wednesday on a stop in Paris for meetings.

Blinken said that even if the Biden administration's plans for a ceasefire and hostage deal don’t come to fruition before Trump’s inauguration, he thinks they’ll be put into practice afterward.

“I believe that when we get that deal – and we’ll get that deal – it will be on the basis of the plans that President Biden put before the world,” he said.

The body of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza, 53-year-old Yosef AlZayadni, was recovered in an underground tunnel in southern Gaza, the military said Wednesday. It said it was examining whether a second body was that of another hostage.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier a second hostage's body had been recovered: AlZayadni’s son Hamzah.

The men were taken captive during Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023. The return of the body comes as Israel and Hamas are considering a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israel believes a third of the remaining 100 hostages are dead. However, AlZayadni was believed to still be alive before Wednesday’s announcement.

AlZayadni, who had 19 children, had worked at a dairy in southern Israel’s Kibbutz Holit for 17 years, said the Hostages Family Forum, a group representing the families of captives. AlZayadni was kidnapped with three of his children. His teenage kids, Bilal and Aisha, were released in a weeklong ceasefire deal in November.

The family are members of the Bedouin community, part of Israel’s Palestinian minority who have Israeli citizenship.

TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli group representing some families of hostages held in Gaza displayed an image of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on a huge electronic billboard in Tel Aviv with a reference to his threat to unleash “hell” if the captives aren't freed before he takes office later this month.

The group behind the billboard, Tikva Forum, has called for Israel to use increased force against Hamas to secure the release of their loved ones.

The billboard shows a photo of Trump raising his fist moments after his assassination attempt, and threatens in English “the fire of hell will open” if the hostages aren't released.

Many in Israel have been energized by Trump's warning, hoping it could exert more pressure on Israeli and Hamas leaders to reach a deal to free hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza.

A third of the 100 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza are believed to be dead.

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa received a delegation from Bahrain on Wednesday and met with the Bahraini foreign minister, state media reported.

The visit was the latest in a flurry of diplomatic overtures by Arab countries to Syria’s new leaders after they overthrew former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive.

Like other Gulf countries, Bahrain had cut off diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad’s rule during the Syrian civil war, but it reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018 and gradually restored ties with the Assad government.

Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit, and days after Assad’s ouster it had sent a message to al-Sharaa offering its cooperation with the new authorities and saying, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military says it carried out a wave of strikes against what it said were underground arms facilities of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement that Wednesday’s strikes targeted weapons used by the rebels to attack ships in the Red Sea.

The Houthis said seven strikes targeted sites in the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and the northern Amran province, without providing further details. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The United States and its allies have carried out repeated strikes on the Houthis, who have continued to target shipping.

The rebels say they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine people in the Gaza Strip, including four infants and two women, Palestinian medics said Wednesday.

One strike hit a home in the central city of Deir al-Balah, killing two men and a woman, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the casualties. It also received a 4-month-old boy who was killed in a strike on his family house in the nearby built-up Bureij refugee camp.

An Associated Press journalist saw the four bodies in the hospital morgue.

In Gaza City, an airstrike hit a home in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, killing a 3-week-old baby, according to the Health Ministry’s emergency service.

Late Wednesday, the bodies of five people and eight wounded arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah. Among the dead were two babies, including a 1-week-old infant, as well as a child and a woman. The other infant's age could not immediately be determined because of how badly they were burned, an AP journalist reported.

Israel’s military says it only targets militants, accusing them of hiding among civilians.