Vertical’s laconic response to air taxi crash will only add to its woes

Nearly 48 hours after news began circulating that the prototype air taxi by UK advanced air mobility firm Vertical Aerospace suffered an accident, the company is still managing public response in the worst possible way – by acting like a slow-moving, tight-lipped, stodgy, “Mad Men” corporation rather than the creative, quick, and innovative startup it is.

Leading from behind has never been the hallmark of a successful, much less ground-breaking startup. Up until this juncture, Vertical had acquitted itself quite nicely in the planning, developing, and communication of its VX4 air taxi in the innovative, forward-looking mode of disruptive tech firms.

Read: UK air taxi maker Vertical reveals first untethered eVTOL test flight

But with word still swirling the craft was considerably damaged during an unexpected drop to the tarmac during a test flight, rather than taking the initiative and influencing response from upfront-center stage, the…