Vertical Aerospace, a global aerospace and technology company, and Bristow Group Inc., today announced an expansion of their strategic partnership to bring advanced air mobility (AAM) into commercial operation.
The companies will develop a scalable, capital-light eVTOL operations platform, designed to reduce barriers to adopting these aircraft by providing Vertical’s current and future customers with fully integrated solutions to launch services without building operational infrastructure from scratch.
This “ready-to-fly” model, which mirrors existing, successful operating models adopted by regional airlines, includes access to certified aircraft, trained pilots, maintenance, and insurance – allowing VX4 customers to focus on customer experience, sales, and network integration, while Vertical and Bristow manage aircraft operations on their behalf.
Under the memorandum of understanding between the companies, Bristow has also placed a pre-order for up to 50 VX4 aircraft, with the option to purchase up to 50 more.
This expanded pre-order builds on the strategic partnership launched in 2021 and reflects Bristow’s confidence in the potential of Vertical’s VX4 aircraft, including its commercial viability, certification path, and delivery roadmap.
Chris Bradshaw, president and CEO of Bristow Group, said: “We are excited about expanding our relationship with Vertical and helping move the future of advanced air mobility forward.
“Bristow has over 75 years of providing critical safety, operational, certification, and logistics expertise, and this agreement outlines a framework to help scale these new aircraft globally, offering customers a seamless path from concept to revenue.”
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “This strategic partnership is about execution and mirrors what already successfully works in aviation today.
“It will lower barriers to market entry and accelerate the adoption of eVTOL services worldwide. Together, we’re making it easy for customers to adopt electric flight, allowing them to focus on what they are best at – customer service, loyalty and sales.”