Vertical Aerospace and Bristow Group partner for VX4 ready-to-fly solutions

Vertical Aerospace, the British-based developer of the VX4 eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, has announced a new partnership with Bristow Group that will see the companies collaborate to offer a full-service, ’ready-to-fly’ support package to VX4 customers. Vertical’s VX4 is a piloted, four-passenger, eVTOL aircraft with zero operating emissions. Vertical will also be launching a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the advanced air mobility market

Bristow Group is a leading global provider of innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions. The company primarily provides aviation services to a broad base of offshore energy companies and government entities. Bristow’s aviation services include personnel transportation, search and rescue, medevac, fixed-wing transportation, unmanned systems, and ad hoc helicopter services using both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.

Under the terms of the new agreement, the companies will develop a scalable, capital-light eVTOL operations platform, designed to reduce barriers to adopting the VX4 aircraft by providing Vertical’s current and future customers with fully integrated solutions to launch services without building operational infrastructure from scratch.

Vertical Aerospace This ‘ready-to-fly’ model will provide VX4 customers with turnkey access to aircraft, pilots, maintenance, and insurance, lowering barriers to entry. The partnership, 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. At the same time, Vertical and Bristow will fully manage aircraft operations on the end-customer’s behalf.

The strategic partnership will “accelerate global eVTOL adoption by combining Vertical’s category-leading aircraft with Bristow’s global vertical lift operational and safety track record and experience,” said a Vertical Aerospace statement.

Under the memorandum of understanding signed 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,” said Bristow Group.

Markus Mainka / ShutterstockStuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said, “This strategic partnership is about execution and mirrors what already works successfully 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.”

“We are excited about expanding our relationship with Vertical and helping move the future of advanced air mobility forward,” said Bristow President and CEO Chris Bradshaw. “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.”

More about the deal

Bristow will leverage its global operational footprint, including multiple Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) and Bristow’s global MRO network approvals, to offer fully managed operations for Vertical’s current and future customers. Target customers include airlines, logistics operators, and rescue services; all sectors where Bristow has over seven decades of mission-critical experience across the world.

Vertical Aerospace“As part of the strategic partnership, the companies will harmonize their respective safety management systems and utilize the VX4’s cloud-connected architecture to deliver predictive maintenance, enhanced reliability, and data-driven fleet insights. The companies are also exploring Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services, including battery swapping and field maintenance solutions,” added the Vertical Aerospace statement.

“This agreement is a key enabler of Vertical’s  Flightpath 2030 strategy – its roadmap to delivering scalable, certified, and commercially viable eVTOL operations globally. It also builds on Vertical’s recent completion of the first-ever wing-borne flight of a winged eVTOL in European open airspace – a critical step toward certification and commercial launch that reflects growing regulatory confidence in the capabilities of the VX4,” concluded the statement.

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