British eVTOL manufacturer Vertical Aerospace has appointed ex-Airbus CEO of UAM Eduardo Dominguez Puerta as chief commercial officer. In this newly created role, Puerta will drive commercialisation and the path to market for Vertical, supporting the business as it continues to build on its mission to make air travel personal, on demand and carbon free.

Drawn from some of the world's leading businesses, such as Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Jaguar, Vertical's team has a hand-picked team from the aerospace and advanced automotive sectors, with experience in certifying and supporting over 30 aircraft and propulsion systems.

At Airbus, Puerta was responsible for Voom, the subsidiary in charge of development, design and manufacturing of eVTOLs, including technology, regulation, certification, infrastructure, unmanned air traffic management and ridesharing services.

With his broad experience and track-record of building partnerships across the aviation industry, including with air safety agencies, he will be integral to Vertical's success as it enters the next phase of its journey; the build of its VA-X4.

Vertical founder and CEO Stephen Fitzpatrick says: “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.”

Puerta adds: “I chose Vertical because it has a proven leader, a team that will deliver, a plan that works and the best partners in the market. This is a great time to join an innovative company like Vertical that is at the cusp of the next breakthrough in aviation.”