Vertical Aerospace wins Singapore grant to research air taxis for emergency medical use

[SINGAPORE] UK-based manufacturer of air taxis Vertical Aerospace (Vertical) announced on Wednesday (Feb 4) that it has received a grant from Singapore to research the use of its Valo air taxi for emergency medical use in the Republic.

The S$100,000 grant was awarded by Hatch, a public safety innovation centre under the Home Team Science & Technology Agency (HTX). HTX is a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Under the grant, Vertical will partner Hatch and HTX, as well as industry stakeholders to develop the groundwork for implementing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) use in emergency medical services.

It will also look into operational aspects and conduct a proof-of-concept flight demonstration test in the UK this year.  

Mok Shao Hong, centre director (Hatch), said: “Our collaboration with Vertical Aerospace allows us to assess the potential of advanced air mobility for emergency medical response, while maintaining a strong focus on safety, regulation and operational readiness.”

Vertical said it was chosen after a competitive selection process, and that the move represents a “a foundational step” towards introduction of the technology beyond trials and into real service in Singapore.

Derek Cheng, vice-president and head of commercial Asia-Pacific at Vertical Aerospace, said: “The use case would be to serve remote areas… to cover Pulau Ubin, perhaps Pulau Tekong or the Southern Islands.”

Commercial flights in 2029

New York Stock Exchange-listed Vertical is a maker of VTOL aircraft, which are also known as air taxis. These are fully electrically powered aircraft that can cover short distances, but Vertical is also working on a hybrid model that combines electricity and jet fuel.

Advanced air mobility is a collective term for newer, advanced aircraft including eVTOLs, vertical take-off vehicles powered by conventional fuel and autonomous flying drones.

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Stuart Simpson, chief executive officer of Vertical Aerospace, told The Business Times that globally, the company is on track for regulatory approval in the UK in 2028 and to begin commercial eVTOL flights in Asia-Pacific in 2029.

“The technology is ready; the challenge now is simply driving through the world’s first-ever certifications for this new class of aircraft. We expect to be flying passengers in Asia in early 2029,” he said.

He added that he sees the region as the biggest market for the technology in future.

“We see Asia as the biggest market in the world for this technology. It’s a combination of geography – all the islands – and the sheer density of the megacities like Tokyo, Seoul and to some extent, Singapore,” said Simpson. 

Vertical has 1,500 orders for its aircraft with one third of those coming from Asia-based operators, including 300 from Japan alone. Customers include Japan Airlines and AirAsia.

While global interest in advanced air mobility and eVTOLs increased since 2010, with many startups appearing and aerospace companies such as Boeing and Airbus getting involved, it has not been a straightforward trajectory as full regulatory approval and commercial operation have not happened yet.

European startup Volocopter conducted a display flight in Singapore in 2019, but it went bankrupt in 2024 and has undergone restructuring, while another company Lilium went bankrupt in 2025.