Heathrow to become hub for eVTOLs after deal with Vertical
Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles could be flying from Heathrow within the next few years.
Aerospace and technology company Vertical has announced a collaboration with the London hub to explore how aerial taxis could fly people from the airport to the City in around 12 minutes and at the cost of a taxi.
The news comes less than a week after the company called on the UK Government to make electric flights a reality by 2025.
“This partnership is a big step forward as we try to get the UK to net zero by 2050,” said Vertical’s chief executive Stephen Fitzpatrick. “This announcement marks the start of an exciting relationship that will help make eVTOLs flying from Heathrow by the mid-2020s a reality.”
The deal highlights the growing interest in the aerial mobility market, with companies already investing in the sector. Virgin Atlantic has announced a partnership with Vertical to launch an eVTOL network, pre-ordering 150 aicraft.
“Vertical continues to partner with world leading organisations such as Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Bristow Group and Microsoft,” Fitzpatrick commented.
“This emerging technology has the potential to reduce congestion and pollution on local roads, while providing passengers with a best-in-class experience on the cutting edge of modern technology,” added Heathrow’s chief strategy officer Chris Annets.
The news comes on the same day the airport announced its intention to allow passengers to purchase sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as a way to offset emissions.
Working alongside climate-tech company Chooose, Heathrow will use a platform to enable travellers to offset even a small percentage of their flights.
“We’re delighted that from today Heathrow passengers will be able to offset their flights by purchasing SAF with our partner Chooose – the more people who talk about and use SAF, the faster we’ll be able to scale-up production and cut carbon emissions from flying for good.”