Vertical Aerospace to Fly First eVTOL Public Demonstration Flights at Farnborough International Airshow

LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 17, 2026--

Vertical Aerospace ("Vertical") (NYSE: EVTL), a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation, plans to conduct the first public electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) demonstration flights to take place at the Farnborough International Airshow (20-24 July 2026), marking another significant milestone as the company advances towards certification and commercial service.

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The demonstrations come at an important point in Vertical's evolution. Over the past year, the company has launched its commercial aircraft, Valo, completed successful piloted transition flights, strengthened its balance sheet, expanded its global technology ecosystem, advanced its hybrid-electric defence strategy and continued to execute against its certification programme. Having demonstrated the aircraft's core capabilities, Vertical is now focused on the next phase of its strategy – executing towards certification, industrialisation and commercialisation.

As well as public piloted flight demonstrations of its full-scale prototype, Vertical will also display its full-scale commercial model of Valo.

Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace:

"Vertical arrives at Farnborough with the key building blocks now in place. Over the past year we've transformed the business - from launching Valo and achieving piloted transition to strengthening our financial position and expanding our industrial ecosystem. We've proven the technology. Our focus now is executing the roadmap to certification, industrialisation and commercial service. Every milestone we deliver reduces risk, strengthens our competitive position and brings us closer to building one of the world's leading electric aerospace companies."

Vertical Aerospace’s key activations at the airshow include:

FLIGHT DEMONSTRATIONS

Vertical intends to conduct public demonstration flights throughout the show - the first by an eVTOL aircraft at Farnborough International Airshow – subject to approved flight conditions.

The planned demonstration flights follow the UK Civil Aviation Authority's recent expansion of Vertical's Permit to Fly, authorising the company to conduct its first public demonstration flights away from its Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport.

Since receiving the approval, Vertical’s test pilots have successfully flown into multiple airports, including RAF Brize Norton, RAF Benson, Blackbushe Airport and Farnborough Airport, broadening its flight test programme and building experience across multiple operating environments as it progresses towards certification and commercial service.

Attendees to the show can follow the latest on Vertical’s demonstration flight times by joining the Vertical Aerospace Farnborough International Airshow 2026 WhatsApp channel.

EXPERIENCE VALO

Visitors can explore the full-scale commercial model of Valo in Hall 4 and meet the team developing one of the world's most advanced electric aircraft. Valo is built on the successes of Vertical’s full-scale prototype which is flying at the airshow.

Vertical arrives at Farnborough with one of the industry's strongest aerospace technology ecosystems, working alongside global partners including Honeywell Aerospace, Aciturri, Evolito, Hyundai WIA, Syensqo, Sonaca and Isoclima. The company also has approximately 1,500 conditional pre-orders from customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines.

This week, Vertical also announced a strategic partnership with Near Earth Autonomy to integrate advanced autonomous flight capability into Valo, supporting future defence and commercial applications.

HEAR FROM VERTICAL'S LEADERSHIP

Throughout Farnborough, Vertical executives will join industry leaders to discuss the future of Advanced Air Mobility and the steps required to bring electric aviation into commercial service.

Monday, 20 July | 11:15–12:00

Hall 3 – AGN Theatre 1L | UK Leadership in Advanced Air Mobility

The UK has emerged as one of the world's leading advanced air mobility ecosystems, combining pioneering aircraft development, progressive regulation, world-class operators and a strong aerospace heritage. But what will it take to turn that early lead into commercial success?

Confirmed Speakers:

Tuesday, 21 July | 15:00 - 16:00

Hall 4 - AGN Theater | Inside the eVTOL Market

Stuart Simpson will also participate in a Cantor Fitzgerald hosted panel at the show’s inaugural Finance Summit connecting financial institutions with global aerospace leaders at Farnborough. Simpson will join other CEOs on an "Inside the eVTOL Market" panel focusing on the electric vertical takeoff and landing sector, its current progress and vision for flight.

Confirmed panelists include:

LOOKING AHEAD

As Vertical advances towards certification and entry into service, the Company expects to achieve several important programme milestones:

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 Sonaca, 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 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this Form 6-K that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding planned public flight demonstrations at the Farnborough Airshow, as well as other exhibition and events scheduled during the show, the business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including the Company’s plans for certification, industrialisation and commercialisation of the Valo aircraft and the hybrid-electric Valo variant and our ability to achieve regulatory certification of our aircraft product on any particular timeline or at all, the plans around the development and testing of the hybrid-electric Valo variant, the design and manufacture of our aircrafts, the features and capabilities of our aircrafts, selection of suppliers, 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,” “is/are likely to” and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of future performance. Actual outcomes may differ materially from the information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including, without limitation, the important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 24, 2026, as such factors may be updated from time to time in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this Form 6-K speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this Form 6-K, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.

Simon Davies, Vertical's Chief Test Pilot, lands at Farnborough Airport.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Almost two decades ago, photographer Joan Monfort didn't think much of his photo shoot of a teenage Lionel Messi bathing a cute baby boy in a plastic bathtub. Not until the remarkable twist of fate became clear years later, when that infant blossomed into Lamine Yamal.

Now those images of the longhaired Messi, his hands covered in soap suds as if anointing Yamal as soccer's Next Big Thing, have become the most talked about — and gawked about — in the runup to Sunday’s World Cup final, when Messi’s Argentina will play Yamal’s Spain for the biggest trophy in the sport.

“I have never been a believer or thought that anything was destined to occur, but I am beginning to have my doubts. This is beyond all reasonable explanations,” Monfort told The Associated Press from his home in Barcelona on Friday.

Monfort, who works as a freelance photojournalist for the AP, took the photos in 2007 as part of a charity calendar produced by local newspaper Sport and UNICEF.

Luck dictated that Yamal’s mother, who appears in the calendar photo, won a raffle of families in the city of Mataró, near Barcelona, who wanted to participate. Soccer destiny then deemed that her baby boy, who would become a star for Barcelona some 15 years later, was paired up with the Argentine who would become the greatest of all time.

A tearful Messi left Barcelona in 2021 when the club was in financial trouble. Yamal erupted at the club two years later. The journey is now complete, from bathtub to World Cup final, when the 19-year-old Yamal will face a Messi who is 20 years his senior.

Monfort had no recollection of the photos until Yamal’s father posted one on social media during the 2024 European Championship, when a teenage Yamal was enjoying his international breakout and led Spain to the title.

The photo went viral then. But now, with the World Cup final looming, Monfort said, interest in his photos has skyrocketed.

“This has exploded all over the world, and the fact that the final is in the U.S. has given it the extra push,” Monfort said. “And now this has culminated with the final between Messi and Yamal. It is better than any film script.”

Monfort said that he has been bombarded by queries for the photos by professional media outlets, while also seeing his images reproduced countless times on social media and the internet without any credit or compensation.

Like many Barcelona fans, Monfort's loyalty is split. It is common to see children wearing both Yamal’s Barcelona and Spain shirts, as well as any Messi shirt, whether from his Barcelona years or Argentina or his current club, Inter Miami, on the city’s streets.

Monfort, 58, is considering traveling to see the final in New Jersey, but whether he watches it in person or at home, he said he will have trouble cheering for one team or the other.

“My heart is split. I don’t know if I want Messi or Yamal to win,” said Monfort, a lifelong Barcelona supporter.

“I have an everlasting love for the best player of all time (Messi),” he said, but “Yamal has broken the mold here” and represents a new, diverse Spain, thanks to his parents from Morocco and Equatorial Guinea. “Maybe they can both win. I wouldn't rule it out after everything we have seen.”

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

20-year-old soccer star Lionel Messi cradles Lamine Yamal, who was merely six months old at the time during a photo session in Sept. 2007 in the dressing room of the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

20-year-old soccer star Lionel Messi helps to bathe Lamine Yamal, who was merely six months old at the time, during a photo session in Sept. 2007 in the dressing room of the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

20-year-old soccer star Lionel Messi helps to bathe Lamine Yamal, who was merely six months old at the time with Yamal's mother Sheila Ebana during a photo session in Sept. 2007 in the dressing room of the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)