Vertical Aerospace Taps Airbus Veteran Fabrice Brégier as Chair to Drive Certification and Defense Push
Event summary
- Vertical Aerospace appointed Fabrice Brégier, former Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO, as Chair on September 21, 2026.
- Brégier brings over three decades of experience in commercial aviation, helicopters, defense, and advanced technology.
- Vertical is focusing on certification and commercialization of its all-electric Valo aircraft and expanding into hybrid-electric, autonomous, and defense applications.
- The company has 1,500 pre-orders for Valo from customers across four continents.
The big picture
Vertical Aerospace's appointment of Fabrice Brégier signals a strategic pivot towards certification and defense applications, leveraging his extensive experience in scaling aerospace programs. The move comes as the eVTOL market matures, with increasing interest from both commercial and defense sectors. Brégier's background in leading complex aerospace technologies to market positions Vertical to capitalize on the growing demand for electric and hybrid-electric aircraft.
What we're watching
- Certification Timeline
- The pace at which Vertical Aerospace can achieve regulatory certification for its Valo aircraft will determine its commercialization success.
- Defense Market Expansion
- Whether Vertical can sustain interest from defense customers like the UK Ministry of Defence and Near Earth Autonomy.
- Hybrid-Electric Strategy
- How Vertical's hybrid-electric variant will affect its market positioning and revenue streams.