Air taxi maker Vertical taps former Airbus executive Fabrice Bregier as chair
On September 21, air taxi developer Vertical Aerospace announced the appointment of former Airbus Commercial Aircraft division chief executive Fabrice Bregier as chair of its board of directors. The news caused shares of Vertical to soar by up to 5.7% in premarket trading.
The move comes as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft companies scramble to obtain regulatory clearances prior to their commercial operations. Vertical Aerospace is currently developing both an all-electric, four-passenger piloted aircraft called Valo and a hybrid-electric variant. The hybrid variant promises increased range and operational flexibility.
The eVTOL sector is increasingly targeting the military market due to growing defense budgets, with commercial development lagging behind expectations. Bregier's expertise is seen as a valuable asset in this context.
Prior to his tenure at Palantir Technologies France, Bregier held the positions of CEO of Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft division from 2012 to 2018 and COO of the entire group. During his time at Airbus, he oversaw the development of the A350 programme and the company's turnaround efforts.
Vertical Aerospace also stated that Ben Story, who has served as the company's interim chair since May, would continue to be a board member.
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