Vertical Aerospace Appoints Former Airbus Executive Marc Fontaine to Its Board

Vertical Aerospace has appointed former Airbus executive Marc Fontaine to its Board of Directors, effective October 21, 2026, as the Bristol-based electric aircraft developer advances certification of its Valo aircraft and weighs financing options for commercialization. The move is the company's third senior leadership addition in roughly a month.

Vertical Aerospace Appoints Marc Fontaine to Board Amid Strategic Push

The company announced that Fontaine joins the board as Vertical pursues type certification of its Valo electric aircraft and evaluates strategic and financial partnerships to support its next phase. His arrival follows two other high-profile appointments: Fabrice Brégier, former CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, became Chair on September 21, 2026, and Clyde Woltman, former CEO of Leonardo Helicopters U.S., joined as a director on October 5, 2026. Vertical announced Fontaine's appointment on its own news feed, describing the move as further strengthening the board.

Vertical Aerospace board appointments, September–October 2026
Date	Appointee	Former Role	New Role at Vertical
September 21, 2026	Fabrice Brégier	CEO, Airbus Commercial Aircraft	Chair of the Board
October 5, 2026	Clyde Woltman	CEO, Leonardo Helicopters U.S.	Director
October 21, 2026	Marc Fontaine	Digital Transformation Officer, Airbus; currently CEO of Helsing SAS	Director

Navigating Certification and Commercialization

Vertical's CEO Stuart Simpson tied Fontaine's appointment directly to the company's central challenges. "Marc knows what it takes to introduce new technologies across a complex aerospace business," Simpson said, adding that his experience in aircraft programmes, digital transformation and defence "will be invaluable as we advance Valo towards certification and prepare for commercial operations."

The appointment also comes against a financial backdrop the company has made explicit. On September 24, 2026, Vertical announced a review of strategic alternatives to support its next phase of development and retained Jefferies LLC as financial advisor, including potential strategic and financial partnerships. The board additions appear designed to give the company the programmatic and commercial judgment to steer that process, though the company has not indicated what the review will conclude.

Vertical Aerospace Appoints Former Airbus Executive Marc Fontaine to Its Board

Vertical Aerospace Appoints Marc Fontaine to Board Amid Strategic Push

Fontaine's Extensive Aerospace and Digital Expertise

A Pattern of Strategic Board Reinforcement

Vertical Aerospace's Recent Board Appointments

Navigating Certification and Commercialization

Strengthening Governance for Future Milestones

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