Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL) has opened a new Aircraft Assembly Centre at its Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport in the United Kingdom, the company announced.

The facility, supported by a £1.5 million investment, adds 60,000 square feet of operational and aircraft assembly space to Vertical's existing campus, bringing its total footprint at the airport to approximately 130,000 square feet.

The centre is intended to assemble certification-conforming versions of the company's Valo electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which will be used for compliance testing as Vertical works with the UK Civil Aviation Authority toward a target Type Certification date of 2029. Assembly of the first certification-conforming aircraft is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027.

The facility will also be used to retrofit a prototype aircraft for hybrid-electric flight testing in the first half of 2027. The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed its interest in Vertical's hybrid-electric and autonomous capabilities.

Following certification, the centre is expected to support initial customer deliveries with capacity to assemble more than 25 Valo aircraft annually during an early-production phase. Plans for a separate, higher-volume production facility are expected to be announced in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Key systems to be integrated at the facility include airframe structures from Sonaca, electric propulsion units from Evolito, Vertical's proprietary battery systems, and flight control systems from Honeywell Aerospace.

Chief Executive Stuart Simpson said the facility "gives us the capability we need to assemble our certification aircraft and support initial customer deliveries, while maintaining capital discipline as we prepare for higher-volume production."

Vertical also said it plans to open an expanded Vertical Energy Centre later this year, which is expected to triple the company's battery-production capacity over time.

The company currently holds approximately 1,500 pre-orders for the Valo aircraft from customers including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL, and Japan Airlines.