Two test flights of a zero-emission ‘flying taxi’ between Bristol Airport and a South West airfield are planned for 2024, as part of efforts to establish a world-first electric flight ecosystem.
A new consortium involving Bristol aerospace firm Vertical Aerospace, which is developing the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and airline Virgin Atlantic, which will operate the trial flights, has been awarded a £9.5m grant by the government.
The group - which also includes engineering giant Atkins, national air navigation provider NATS and top academic institutions - has been backed to demonstrate commercial and operational viability.
