American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth) has agreed to make pre-delivery payments and has reserved delivery slots for the first fifty VX4 electrical vertical takeoffs and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from developer Vertical Aerospace (Bristol International).
The amount to be paid was not disclosed, although this forms part of American Airlines’ initial conditional pre-order of up to 250 VX4 aircraft, with an option for an additional 100, first announced in June 2021 and reportedly worth up to USD1 billion.
The pre-payment commitment is said to be the first of its kind for a major airline in the eVTOL industry and marks a significant milestone in their partnership, the parties said in a joint statement. They will build on their existing joint working group to collaborate on a framework to explore the future of advanced air mobility and prepare for the VX4’s entry into service.
This followed a recent announcement of a further 50 conditional pre-orders of the VX4 from Belgian charter company FLYINGGROUP and agreeing to concurrent certification with the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
“We have made great strides in simplifying our fleet with newer and more fuel-efficient aircraft and are proud to take part in another step toward the development of advanced air mobility,” commented American Airlines Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr.
Established in 2016, Vertical Aerospace’s pre-order book totals 1,400 aircraft from global customers, including American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Avolon, Bristow Group, Marubeni, Iberojet (Spain), FLYINGGROUP, as well as JAL - Japan Airlines, GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, Air Greenland, Gozen Holding, and AirAsia, through Avolon’s VX4 placements.
The VX4 is projected to be capable of transporting a pilot and up to four passengers over 160 km and achieving top speeds of more than 321km/h while producing minimal noise and zero operating emissions.
