VTOL News & Events

Electra and Bristow Group signed a Pre-Delivery Payment deposit agreement with binding terms and conditions aligned to the commercial aviation industry standard, subject to aircraft certification, securing the first delivery slot for Electra's EL9 Ultra Short hybrid-electric aircraft, capable of carrying nine passengers with baggage or 3,000 pounds of cargo for 330 nautical miles, and has a maximum ferry range of 1,100 nautical miles with IFR reserves. The PDP agreement includes option rights for Bristow to another 45 aircraft at the same fixed terms. Bristow plans to deploy the EL9 across turnkey mobility solutions for corporate customers, premier destinations and resorts, major and regional airlines, and government agencies operating essential public service routes.

Vertical Aerospace (EVTL) "announced plans with Skyports Infrastructure (Skyports) and Bristow Group (VTOL), to launch the UK's first electric air-taxi routes between Canary Wharf and major transport hubs. Proposed routes to and from Canary Wharf at launch would include Heathrow, Gatwick, Cambridge and Oxford. The first phase, planned from Q1 2029, will focus on the UK's highest-value mobility corridors. The proposed routes, operated by Bristow, would dramatically cut journey times compared with traditional ground travel - for example, cutting a typical Canary Wharf-to-Heathrow transfer from 60-90 minutes on the ground to 12 minutes in the air."