GET TO THE CHOPPA

Uber to Offer Helicopter Option on App

The CEO of the ride-hailing service said the “next generation of travel” will be available on the app as soon as next year.

Uber announced Wednesday a new partnership that will let riders book helicopter trips as soon as 2026. President and CEO Andrew Macdonald said the ride-hailing service will partner with helicopter company Blade to usher in the “next generation of travel,” CNBC reported. The Uber-Blade partnership comes after Joby, a venture-backed aviation company aspiring to make electric air taxis, paid Blade $125 million to acquire the company in August. Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt announced that the partnership with Uber would “lay the foundation for the introduction of our quiet, zero-emissions aircraft in the years ahead.” While Blade helicopters are neither quiet or environmentally friendly, Joby is currently developing its own electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which is not yet approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. Customers can already book seats from the Blade mobile app for travel to other Blade terminals, usually between 10 and 100 miles away. The company partnered with Uber in 2014 over the July Fourth weekend to offer a limited-time “UberChopper” service to take New York City passengers willing to pay per $500 seat to the Hamptons.