India’s JetSetGo and Vertical Aerospace announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the intended purchase of 50 Valo aircraft, alongside a strategic collaboration to develop Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) services in India.
The MoU establishes a framework for the two companies to jointly develop route networks, operating models, regulatory engagement and the commercial rollout of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft across India.
Valo will be Vertical’s certification electric aircraft, designed to fly up to 160 km at speeds of 240 km/h with zero operating emissions and engineered to meet airliner-level safety standards. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility, well-suited to use cases across India.
As part of the agreement, JetSetGo will lead market research and operational planning for metro and short-haul regional routes, and is already running technical evaluations, demand modelling and feasibility studies in select corridors. The company said Valo’s design, including the future long-range hybrid-electric variant, fits its strategy to connect dense cities and underserved regional markets where ground travel options are slow.
Kanika Tekriwal, founder and chief executive of JetSetGo, said: “From an operator’s standpoint, aircraft capability and certification timelines are decisive factors. We are seeing early indicators of demand on specific city pairs and intra city corridors. The Valo platform, particularly the hybrid-electric configuration, fits the operating profiles we are analysing for India. Vertical’s progress to date has been impressive, and we are confident that the recently launched Valo design is an excellent fit with future customer needs in India.”
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “We are delighted to welcome JetSetGo as a new customer and partner. India is a dynamic and rapidly growing market for Advanced Air Mobility and working with an experienced operator like JetSetGo allows us to explore how Valo’s all-electric and hybrid-electric variant can unlock new routes and transport solutions across the country.”
Vertical is targeting type certification of Valo by 2028 under UK and European regulators, with global validations to follow, which JetSetGo said could enable early commercial rollout of Advanced Air Mobility services in India, subject to approvals. The partnership comes as Indian regulators work on certification and infrastructure frameworks for AAM, and will feed into JetSetGo’s long-term fleet planning for deploying next-generation aircraft.
Vertical Aerospace selects Evolito as electric propulsion unit partner for Valo
Vertical Aerospace also announced a new long-term partnership with Evolito, a leader in high-performance electric propulsion systems, to supply electric propulsion units (“EPUs”) – electric engines – that will power Valo, Vertical’s commercial eVTOL aircraft. Under the agreement, Evolito will provide its unique EPU architecture, lightweight, efficient electric motors and high-integrity DAL-A power electronics, integrated into a single electric engine, providing the extended range, high performance and built-in redundancy required for Valo’s entry into commercial service. These are critical requirements for Valo’s certification to similar safety standards as large commercial airliners, targeted in 2028.
As part of the partnership, Vertical and Evolito plan to jointly certify the EPUs with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), with concurrent validation with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is expected to be followed by global regulator validation. Evolito holds CAA Design Organisation Approval – a prerequisite for UK type certification and commercial operations. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant offering greater range and mission flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the Advanced Air Mobility market, with Evolito’s EPUs integrated into the platform. The hybrid-electric variant is scheduled to begin flight testing in mid-2026.
Vertical Aerospace wins grant for proof-of-concept EMS services in Singapore
Vertical Aerospace has been selected as a winner of the “Dimension X Cohort 7 Challenge”, and awarded a Proof-of-concept (POC) grant by Hatch, an innovation centre of Singapore’s Home Team Science & Technology Agency (HTX) for public safety. The grant will enable Vertical to develop, test and validate an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) use case for its Valo aircraft platform, its commercial eVTOL aircraft. The project is focused on how electric and hybrid-electric vertical flight could support time-critical medical response for remote island areas around Singapore.
Under the programme, Vertical will work with HTX, Hatch and operational stakeholders to:
- Develop a detailed EMS concept of operations (ConOps) aligned with real operational and regulatory requirements;
- Operational insights to evaluate medical cabin configurations for patient transport and in-flight care;
- Conduct a proof-of-concept flight demonstration to assess mission feasibility, safety and response times.
The project will run through April 2026 and will include collaboration with the Singapore Home Team to assess and trial how eVTOL and VTOL aircraft could complement existing emergency response systems and potentially help improve patient outcomes in critical scenarios.
Vertical was chosen following a competitive selection process, underscoring the safety-first design, cabin mission flexibility and credible certification approach of the Valo aircraft. The programme represents a foundational step toward longer-term collaboration in exploring the introduction of safe, operational Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) applications beyond trials and into real service in Singapore.
The initiative aligns with Singapore’s efforts to develop the AAM industry, led by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and supported by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). These include enabling the safe introduction of next-generation aircraft and growing the AAM ecosystem in Singapore.
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “We are proud to work closely with Singapore’s public-sector safety and security experts to explore how electric and hybrid-electric aircraft could support emergency response operations safely and effectively. This is an important step in making AAM a reality in the region.”
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