Vertical Aerospace Appoints Former Airbus Commercial CEO Fabrice Bregier as Board Chair
Why It MattersThe hire signals eVTOL developers are recruiting veteran aerospace leadership to navigate regulatory approval and commercialisation as timelines extend and military demand grows.
Vertical Aerospace said on Monday it had appointed Fabrice Bregier, former chief executive of Airbus's Commercial Aircraft division, as chair of its board of directors. Shares of Vertical rose as much as 5.7% in premarket trading following the announcement.
Bregier served as CEO of Airbus's commercial aircraft unit from 2012 to 2018 and was also chief operating officer of the group, where he led development of the A350 programme and oversaw the company's operational turnaround. He most recently served as president of Palantir Technologies.
Ben Story, who has been the company's interim chair since May, will remain a member of the board.
The appointment comes as eVTOL companies race to secure regulatory approvals ahead of commercial launches. Vertical is developing the Valo, an all-electric four-passenger piloted aircraft, alongside a hybrid-electric variant designed to offer greater range and mission flexibility. eVTOL firms are also increasingly targeting the military market amid rising defence spending, as commercial development timelines have extended longer than initially expected.
