EVTL 6-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13A-16 OR 15D-16

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of February 2026

CommissionFile Number: 001-41169

Vertical Aerospace Ltd.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in ItsCharter)

Unit 1 Camwal Court, Chapel Street

Bristol BS2 0UW

United Kingdom

(Address of principalexecutive office)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F  x            Form 40-F  ¨

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT ON FORM 6-K

On February 23, 2026, Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (the “Company”) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd., were named as defendants in a compliant filed by Archer Aviation Inc. (the “Plaintiff”) filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleging infringement of Plaintiff’s design and utility patents under the U.S. Patent Act (the “Complaint”).

The Company believes that the asserted claims in the Complaint are without merit and intends to defend itself vigorously against the allegations.

On February 24, 2026, the Company issued a press release in relation to the Complaint, a copy of which is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

Forward-Looking Statements

ThisReport of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K (the “Form 6-K”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaningof the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this Form 6-K that are notstatements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the designand manufacture of our aircraft and the hybrid-electric variant, certification and the commercialization of our aircraft and our abilityto achieve regulatory certification of our aircraft product on any particular timeline or at all, the features and capabilities of theaircraft, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including the building and testing of our prototypeaircrafts on timelines projected, completion of the piloted test programme phases, selection of suppliers, as well as statements thatinclude the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,”“estimate,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “will,” “aim,” “potential,”“continue,” “is/are likely to” and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-lookingstatements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of future performance. Actual outcomes maydiffer materially from the information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including, withoutlimitation, the important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-Ffiled with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 11, 2025, as such factors may be updated fromtime to time in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this Form 6-K speak onlyas of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. the Company disclaims any obligation orundertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this Form 6-K, whether as a result of new information,future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The information included in this Report on Form 6-K (excluding Exhibit 99.1) is hereby incorporated by reference into the Company’s Registration Statements on Form F-3 (File No. 333-270756, File No. 333-284763, File No. 333-287207 and File No. 333-292448) (including any prospectuses forming a part of such registration statements) and to be a part thereof from the date on which this Report on Form 6-K is filed, to the extent not superseded by documents or reports subsequently filed or furnished.

EXHIBIT INDEX

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Exhibit 99.1

Vertical Aerospace Addresses Archer AviationClaims

London, UK & New York, USA – 24/02/2026 – Vertical Aerospace (“Vertical” or “Company”) [NYSE:EVTL], a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering electric aviation, today provided the following statement in response to a patent infringement complaint filed by Archer Aviation in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas:

Archer’s recent claims are without merit, and Vertical intends to defend those claims vigorously. Vertical has developed a robust aircraft design with a clear path to certification, underpinned by Vertical’s proprietary and market-leading technology and international IP portfolio. Archer’s claims are merely an attempt to distract from the challenges Archer is facing competing in the marketplace.

“Vertical’s aircraft architecture, proprietary technologystack and certification pathway have been independently developed over many years and are protected by a robust portfolio of intellectualproperty rights,” said Domhnal Slattery, Vertical Aerospace Chair. “Our focus remains firmly on execution and certification.That is where sustainable value is created - and that is where we are leading.”

About Vertical Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace is a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation. Vertical is creating a safer, cleaner, and quieter way to travel. Valo is a piloted, four-passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the advanced air mobility market.

Vertical combines partnerships with leading aerospace companies, including Honeywell, Syensqo and Aciturri, with its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop the world’s most advanced and safest eVTOL.

Vertical has c.1,500 pre-orders of Valo, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. Certain customer obligations are expected to be fulfilled via third-party agreements. Headquartered in Bristol, UK, Vertical’s experienced leadership team comes from top-tier aerospace and automotive companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GM, and Leonardo. Together, they have previously certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion system.

For more information:

Justin Bates, Head of Communications [email protected] +44 7878 357 463  Samuel Emden, Head of Investor Affairs [email protected] +447816 459 904

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the design and manufacture of our aircraft and the hybrid-electric variant, certification and the commercialization of our aircraft and our ability to achieve regulatory certification of our aircraft product on any particular timeline or at all, the features and capabilities of the aircraft, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including the building and testing of our prototype aircrafts on timelines projected, completion of the piloted test programme phases, selection of suppliers; the differential strategy compared to our peer group; expectations surrounding pre-orders and commitments; as well as statements that include the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “will,” “aim,” “potential,” “continue,” “are likely to” and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation, the other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 11, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. We disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.