UK 'moving closer' to flying cars, says air taxi boss as assembly centre opens
ByMatty EdwardsWest of England and Alastair McKeeWest of England
Futuristic air taxis that take off like helicopters will be built at a new facility that is the first of its kind in the UK.
Bristol-based company Vertical Aerospace has announced a new aircraft assembly centre at Cotswold Airport, near Kemble in Gloucestershire, describing it as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".
The Valo aircraft currently being developed and tested there are electric, carry four passengers and can fly up to 160km (100 miles) with no operating emissions, the firm said.
Minister for Reindustrialisation Blair McDougall said the new facility would "help turn British innovation into British manufacturing".
The new centre adds 60,000sq ft (5,574sq m) of space to Vertical's existing flight test centre at Cotswold Airport.
Vertical said construction of the new aircraft would begin in late 2027 with an initial 25 being built every year before the company increases that number to 900 a year by 2035.
The company said it had 1,500 orders, many of which were from airlines.
It said there were plans to get the planes certified for commercial use by 2029.
Vertical's CEO Stuart Simpson said the new centre was an "important step" for the company
Vertical's CEO Stuart Simpson said: "We're getting really close to this idea of flying cars, flying taxis.
"Opening our aircraft assembly centre is an important step in Vertical's transition from prototype developer to aircraft manufacturer.
"Bringing a new category of aircraft to market is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and it is especially rewarding to do that here in Great Britain, drawing on the country's proud aviation heritage."
Testing of the new aircraft technology was already under way at Cotswold Airport, a spokesperson for Vertical said
McDougall said the assembly centre was "exactly the kind of investment we want to see more of as we work to reindustrialise Britain, creating high-skilled local jobs and strengthening our manufacturing base".
Suzannah Harvey, CEO of Cotswold Airport, said she was "delighted" to support the new centre which she said strengthened the airport's "growing role as a hub for aerospace innovation".
Plans for a separate full-scale production site, intended to support higher-volume manufacturing, are expected to be announced later this year.
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