eVTOL developer Vertical Aerospace has appointed the ex-Airbus CEO of urban air mobility, Eduardo Dominguez Puerta, as its chief commercial officer.
In this newly created role, Eduardo will drive commercialization and the path to market for the Bristol, UK-based Vertical Aerospace’s VA-AX4.
The VA-AX4 is a five-seat battery-powered eVTOL which uses four tilt rotors for propulsion, with a range of 100 miles (160km) and a top speed of 200mph (320km/h).
Vertical has been developing an eVTOL since 2016 and plans to certify the VA-X4 in 2024. The company is partnering with Roll-Royce for its electric powertrain and Honeywell on the flight deck.
Puerta oversaw the Airbus subsidiary tasked with developing eVTOLs for three years and was responsible for technology, regulation, certification, infrastructure, unmanned air traffic management and ridesharing services.
Prior to that he was senior vice president of new business strategy at Airbus and chief operating officer of A3, the European aircraft manufacturer’s startup and new technology incubator in Silicon Valley, California.
Stephen Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said, “This is the most exciting time in aviation for the last 70 years. The electrification of flight at scale will transform the way people travel and with Eduardo joining our team we further strengthen the skills and experience to make this a reality.”
Eduardo Dominguez Puerta said, “I chose Vertical because they have a proven leader, a team who will deliver, a plan that works, and the best partners in the market. This is a great time to join this innovative company that is at the cusp of the next breakthrough in aviation.”
