Valo

Design Studio OMI designed Valo with Vertical Aerospace – the eVTOL aircraft set to redefine urban air mobility

• A significantly enhanced design built on the successes of the VX4 prototype test programme
• A modular, premium cabin for up to 6 passengers with class-leading luggage capacity
• Exterior grounded in engineering – shaped by research and collaboration to create an approachable and ground-breaking vision for the future of transport
• Engineered to meet the highest certification standards, targeting approval in 2028 before entering service with customers including American Airlines, Japan Airlines and Bristow
• First full-scale reveal hosted by Claudia Winkleman on 10th December in Canary Wharf, signalling the UK’s return to aircraft manufacturing leadership

Vertical Aerospace, a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation, today revealed Valo – its new commercial eVTOL aircraft. Successor to the VX4 prototype, Valo embodies a more advanced design informed by piloted test-programme learnings and direct input from airline and operator customers.
OMI (Of My Imagination) has worked in close collaboration with Vertical Aerospace to lead the industrial design of Valo – shaping every visible element of the aircraft, from its exterior presence to the cabin, cockpit and cargo architecture. Working hand-in-hand with Vertical’s engineering team and global technical partners, OMI set out to create the sleekest, most approachable and futuristic eVTOL on the market, while staying tightly aligned to the realities of certification and manufacturability.
Designed to fly up to 100 miles at 150 mph with zero operating emissions, Valo targets airliner-level certification in 2028 ahead of service entry with American Airlines, Japan Airlines and Bristow.

Exterior Design: A Friendly, Futuristic Presence – Driven by Engineering Reality

Valo advances the VX4 prototype with a more aerodynamic airframe shaped by piloted test insights and operator feedback. Developed with partners including Honeywell, Syensqo and Aciturri, it introduces an under-floor battery system, redesigned wings and propellers, upgraded materials and full certifiable redundancy.
The overall exterior presents a friendly, modern presence in the sky with cutting-edge design. The design team worked closely with engineering to shape the exterior around the required aerodynamics, landing gear architecture, cabin spatial studies and batteries. Expressing this new class of electric aircraft, a distinctive graphical split along the fuselage defines where the batteries are housed.
The landing gear arrangement creates an iconic silhouette for eVTOL aircraft. The front landing gear housing is sculpted with automotive-inspired surfacing, which is both aerodynamic and has dual function as a step into the cockpit. The unique rear landing gear format introduces a Y-tail motif used within Vertical’s new branding.

Interior Design: Modular, Lightweight, and Passenger-Focused

Valo’s cabin has been designed as a premium, modular environment that enhances comfort and can be adapted and customised to future customer needs. It launches with four premium seats, panoramic windows and a cockpit divider for privacy and safety, with the ability to expand to six seats and other future cabin formats, from airline service to emergency medical or logistics missions.
OMI was involved from the outset in sizing the cabin, defining passenger space and overall ergonomics to make the most comfortable and well-proportioned interior for this new class of aircraft. The design intent was to create a warm, intuitive and highly adaptable cabin environment.

Key Interior design features:

• Designed to be easily customised for partners and customers
• Modular architecture to allow for easy reconfiguration and upgradeability
• Designed around certifiable seats, adding lightweight furniture for a more luxurious and ergonomic design
• Digital in-cabin display showing real-time flight data, route progress and cabin customisation for lighting and audio
• Exterior boarding display communicating flight and boarding information before entry
• A window to see the cockpit with easy reach controls to communicate with the pilot

Cockpit: Pilot-Centred Design Backed by Real-World Studies

Developed with Honeywell and shaped through extensive pilot studies, Valo’s cockpit features:

• An asymmetric layout enabling an additional pilot or observer seat
• Honeywell’s latest avionics screens and inceptors
• Optimised sightlines and ergonomics, informed by direct human-factors testing

The result is a cockpit environment engineered for precision, simplicity and pilot confidence.

Class-Leading Cargo Capacity

The cargo area was designed to be both spacious and protective, responding directly to airline feedback. Valo includes one of the most generous cargo holds in its class, with space for six cabin bags and six checked bags. The compartment is lined with protective padding and features custom-designed branded webbing, ensuring passengers can travel without compromise on airport-to-city connections.