Bristol-based electric aviation pioneer Vertical Aerospace has struck a partnership with a subsidiary of South Korea’s Hyundai Corporation to supply the landing gear for its Valo electric air taxi, as the company pushes towards certification of an aircraft it hopes will reshape urban transport.
Hyundai WIA, a manufacturing and mobility arm of the Hyundai group, will take on end-to-end responsibility for designing and producing a bespoke landing gear system for the Valo — an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that Vertical Aerospace is developing for commercial passenger services.
Supporting the Korean firm as a key design partner will be Stirling Dynamics, a UK-based engineering company with more than three decades of experience on certified aircraft programmes.
Building the Supply Chain
The deal represents another significant piece in what Vertical Aerospace is assembling as a world-class aerospace supply chain ahead of scaled production. The company has now secured partners across most of the Valo’s major systems.
Honeywell is supplying flight control and aircraft management systems. Spanish aerospace manufacturer Aciturri is responsible for airframe structures. UK motor technology firm Evolito is providing electric propulsion units.
Materials specialist Syensqo is supplying composite materials, and Isoclima is providing the aircraft’s transparencies — the technical term for windows and canopy elements.
The addition of Hyundai WIA for the landing gear completes a further critical element of that ecosystem.
Why It Matters
The partnership is more than a procurement announcement. For Vertical Aerospace, securing suppliers of this calibre is central to demonstrating to aviation regulators and potential customers that the Valo programme has the industrial backing required to move from prototype to certified, commercially viable aircraft.
Stuart Simpson, chief executive of Vertical Aerospace, said the company’s strategy remained firmly focused on building that industrial foundation.
“Hyundai WIA brings deep expertise in advanced manufacturing and high-integrity systems, further strengthening the industrial foundation supporting Valo’s path to commercial service,” he said.
Ho-Young Lee, vice president of Hyundai WIA, said the company was proud to be part of what he described as next-generation electric aviation.
“We look forward to working closely with Vertical and Stirling Dynamics to deliver a robust, innovative landing gear solution that meets the highest safety standards and performance,” he said.
A Key Milestone Already Passed
The announcement follows what Vertical Aerospace describes as a significant technical breakthrough — the successful completion of a two-way piloted transition flight, in which the Valo demonstrated its ability to move between vertical and forward flight modes with a pilot on board.
That test validated the aircraft’s core operating principle and marked one of the most important milestones in its development to date.
eVTOL aircraft must be able to take off and land vertically — like a helicopter — while also flying efficiently in a conventional forward-flight mode, more like a fixed-wing aircraft. Demonstrating that transition reliably, with a pilot aboard, is a prerequisite for the certification process that must be completed before any commercial service can begin.
The Bigger Picture
Vertical Aerospace is one of several companies globally racing to bring electric air taxis to market, in what is increasingly seen as one of aviation’s most consequential technological shifts since the jet engine. The eVTOL sector promises quieter, lower-emission short-range air travel — potentially transforming connections between city centres and airports, or between urban and suburban areas.
Certification by aviation authorities, including the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, remains the central challenge. Vertical Aerospace has not yet confirmed a target date for the start of commercial operations.