Vertical Aerospace Signs New Customer JetSetGo to Accelerate Electric and Hybrid-Electric Aviation in India

INDIA & SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 4, 2026--

JetSetGo, one of India’s leading private aviation operators and Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL), a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering electric aviation, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the intended purchase of 50 Valo aircraft, alongside a strategic collaboration to develop Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) services in India.

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The MoU establishes a framework for the two companies to jointly develop route networks, operating models, regulatory engagement and the commercial rollout of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft across India. Valo will be Vertical’s certification electric aircraft, designed to fly up to 160 km at speeds of 240 km/h with zero operating emissions and engineered to meet airliner-level safety standards. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility, well-suited to use cases across India.

As part of the agreement, JetSetGo will lead market research and operational planning for metro and short-haul regional routes, and is already running technical evaluations, demand modelling and feasibility studies in select corridors. The company said Valo’s design, including the future long-range hybrid-electric variant, fits its strategy to connect dense cities and underserved regional markets where ground travel options are slow.

“From an operator’s standpoint, aircraft capability and certification timelines are decisive factors,” said Kanika Tekriwal, founder and chief executive of JetSetGo. “We are seeing early indicators of demand on specific city pairs and intra city corridors. The Valo platform, particularly the hybrid-electric configuration, fits the operating profiles we are analysing for India. Vertical’s progress to date has been impressive, and we are confident that the recently launched Valo design is an excellent fit with future customer needs in India.”

Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said,“We are delighted to welcome JetSetGo as a new customer and partner. India is a dynamic and rapidly growing market for Advanced Air Mobility and working with an experienced operator like JetSetGo allows us to explore how Valo’s all-electric and hybrid-electric variant can unlock new routes and transport solutions across the country.”

Vertical is targeting type certification of Valo by 2028 under UK and European regulators, with global validations to follow, which JetSetGo said could enable early commercial rollout of Advanced Air Mobility services in India, subject to approvals. The partnership comes as Indian regulators work on certification and infrastructure frameworks for AAM, and will feed into JetSetGo’s long-term fleet planning for deploying next-generation aircraft.

About JetSetGo

JetSetGo, founded in 2014 by the visionary duo Kanika Tekriwal and Sudheer Perla, has been on a mission to revolutionise private air travel in India. Its core principles, putting customer needs first, maximising the value of their time, and making private aviation simple and accessible, have positioned the brand as a leading provider of private aviation services.

Headquartered in New Delhi, JetSetGo was conceived by a commitment to tackle the significant challenges within the private aviation sector. The brand has created a more transparent and accessible marketplace for private jet charter, making private jet ownership more affordable and convenient while elevating the quality and consistency of charter services. The fleet currently comprises five mid-size Hawker aircraft, meticulously tailored to the unique demands of the Indian market, and six other aircraft ranging from large cabin jets to helicopters.

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. Valo is a piloted, four-passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the Advanced Air Mobility market.

Vertical combines partnerships with leading aerospace companies, including Honeywell, Syensqo and Aciturri, with 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 Valo, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. Certain customer obligations are expected to be fulfilled via third-party agreements. Headquartered in Bristol, UK, Vertical’s experienced leadership team comes from top-tier aerospace and automotive 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 partnership with JetSetGo and ability to launch the projected routes; the introduction of the Valo aircraft; the certification and the commercialization of the Valo aircraft and the timing thereof; the design and manufacture of the Valo aircraft; the features and capabilities of the Valo aircraft; the differential strategy compared to our peer group; expectations surrounding pre-orders and commitments; 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, 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 11, 2025, 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.

Vertical and JetSetGo are jointly developing route networks across India

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A new Tennessee law has eased up on two longstanding financial hurdles for people with felony sentences who want their voting rights back, including a unique requirement among states that they must have fully paid their child support costs.

The Republican-supermajority Legislature approved the Democratic-sponsored change, which now lets people prove they have complied for the last year with child support orders, such as payment plans. The legislation also unties the payment of all court costs from voting rights restoration.

Advocates for years have sought various changes to Tennessee’s voting rights restoration system at the statehouse and in court. They say loosening these two rules marks the biggest rollback of restrictions to voting rights restoration in decades.

“This is huge and this is history,” said Keeda Haynes, senior attorney for the advocacy group Free Hearts led by formerly incarcerated women like her.

Most Republicans voted for it and Democrats supported it unanimously. The law took effect immediately upon Republican Gov. Bill Lee's signature last week.

“I think people are at a point where they want to just remove the barriers out of the way and allow people to be fully functional members of society,” said Democratic House Minority Leader Karen Camper, a bill sponsor.

In 2023 and early 2024, the state shelved a paperwork process that didn’t require going to court and decided gun rights were required to restore the right to vote. Election officials said a court ruling made the changes necessary, though voting rights advocates said officials misinterpreted the order.

Last year, lawmakers untangled voting and gun rights. But voting rights advocates opposed some of the bill's other provisions, such as keeping the process in the courts, where costs can rack up if someone isn't ruled indigent.

Easing up on the financial requirements uncommonly split legislative Republicans. For instance, Senate Speaker Randy McNally voted against it, while House Speaker Cameron Sexton supported it, noting that people aren't getting forgiveness on making their payments.

“They need to continue paying that, and as long as they do, then there’s a possibility (to restore their voting rights)," Sexton said. "I really think that’s harder for people to argue against than maybe what something else was.”

Republican Rep. Johnny Garrett, who voted no, said in committee his vote would hinge on whether “there still can be an (child support) arrearage owed beyond that 12 months.”

For some, backed-up child support payments could reach hundreds or thousands of dollars, and court costs could be hundreds or thousands more, said Gicola Lane, Campaign Legal Center's Restore Your Vote community partnership senior manager.

Advocates credited their narrowed focus, omitting goals such as automatic restoration of rights, no longer tying restitution payments to voting rights, or offering a path for certain people to restore their right who are permanently disenfranchised, including those convicted of voter fraud or most murder charges.

The bill passed the Senate last year and the House this year.

Lawmakers gave the child support requirement final passage in 2006 within an overhaul bill that also created a voting rights restoration process outside of court. Critics said the child support rule penalized impoverished parents.

Democrats were then narrowly hanging onto legislative leadership in both chambers. Republicans held a slim Senate majority but GOP defectors voted for a Democratic speaker.

Last year marked the dismissal of a nearly five-year-old federal lawsuit over Tennessee’s voting-rights restoration system. Free Hearts and the Campaign Legal Center represented plaintiffs in the long-delayed case, which saw some election policy changes along the way.

Roughly 184,000 people have completed supervision for felonies and their offenses don't preclude them from restoring their voting rights, according to a plaintiffs expert’s 2023 estimate in the lawsuit. About one in 10 were estimated to have outstanding child support payments, and more than six in 10 owed court courts, restitution or both, the expert said.

Both Republican and Democratic-led states have eased the voting rights restoration process in recent years. Some states have added complexities.

In Florida, after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 restoring the right to vote for people with felony convictions, the Republican-controlled Legislature watered that down by requiring payment of fines, fees and court costs.

Voting rights are automatically restored upon release in nearly half of states. In 15 others, it occurs after parole, probation or a similar period and sometimes requires paying outstanding court costs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Maine and Vermont, people with felonies keep their voting rights in prison, the NCSL says.

Ten other states including Tennessee require additional government action. Virginia ’s governor must intervene to restore voting rights of people convicted of felonies. In some states, including Tennessee, certain conviction types render someone ineligible.

However, Virginia lawmakers this year have passed a proposed state constitutional amendment to ask voters whether they want automatic voting rights restoration after someone is released from prison. Kentucky lawmakers have proposed a similar change for voters' consideration that would automatically restore voting rights after certain completed sentences, including probation.

FILE - The Tennessee Capitol is seen, Jan. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)