VIC Properties and Vertical Aerospace Sign MoU to Explore Electric Air Mobility at Portugal's Pinheirinho Estate
Why It MattersThe agreement signals eVTOL manufacturers targeting luxury resort and hospitality destinations as early commercial use cases ahead of broader urban air mobility rollout.
VIC Properties, the Portuguese luxury real estate developer, and Bristol-headquartered eVTOL company Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 27, 2026, to explore the future introduction of electric air mobility services in Portugal, with an initial focus on Pinheirinho, a 400-hectare estate in Comporta that includes Six Senses Comporta. Under the MoU, VIC Properties will work with Vertical Aerospace and its infrastructure and operating partners to assess Pinheirinho as Portugal's first electric air mobility resort destination, covering site and infrastructure planning. The estate includes two ultra-luxury hotels anchored by the 70-key Six Senses Comporta designed by Michaelis Boyd, along with 58 private residences, private villas, apartments, and an 18-hole golf course designed by Jorge Santana Da Silva.
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said "the most exceptional destinations deserve an equally exceptional way to arrive," while João Cabaça, Co-founder and CEO of VIC Properties, called the partnership "a natural extension" of the estate's long-term vision for luxury hospitality and connectivity. Vertical Aerospace's Valo aircraft is a piloted, four-passenger eVTOL with zero operating emissions, and the company has recorded 1,500 pre-orders across customers on four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL, and Japan Airlines. The MoU follows Vertical's earlier agreement with Héli Air Monaco to explore future Valo operations across the French Riviera, connecting Monaco, Nice, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez, and additional VIC Properties destinations may be considered as the partnership develops.
