Uber will let users book helicopter rides through its app starting next year after Joby Aviation bought Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business for $125 million in August.
The move folds Blade’s New York airport shuttle service into Uber’s platform, with flights between Manhattan and nearby airports on offer, according to Joby’s announcement. Joby, which develops electric air taxis, previously acquired Uber’s Elevate division in 2021 and has partnered with the company since 2019 on urban air mobility projects. (RELATED: NASCAR Legend Greg Biffle Unloads 1,000 Easter Eggs From Helicopter For Kids Affected By Hurricane Helene)
“Integrating Blade into the Uber app is the natural next step in our global partnership with Uber and will lay the foundation for the introduction of our quiet, zero-emissions aircraft in the years ahead,” Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said in a statement to CBS News.
Blade carried more than 50,000 passengers last year in New York and Southern Europe using conventional helicopters, according to CBS News. The company charges $195 for flights between Manhattan and John F. Kennedy or Newark Liberty airports. Joby is touting its electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft — designed to carry four passengers and a pilot at speeds up to 200 mph — but Blade’s fleet still relies on jet fuel.
Take flight, your way. As early as next year, @flybladenow rides will be just a tap away in the @Uber app. Today we announced plans to expand our partnership with Uber to help accelerate urban air mobility.
Read more in 🧵 and in our release here: https://t.co/KAS7uYc4La (1/3) pic.twitter.com/DEMmYzDGeH
— Joby Aviation (@jobyaviation) September 10, 2025
A company spokesperson told the outlet that airport routes have strong consumer demand but gave no details on pricing or specific routes. Joby said it will use Blade’s infrastructure — including passenger lounges at key landing points — to speed its electric air taxi rollout in Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, the United Kingdom and Japan,.
The aircraft is designed to generate 100 times less noise than conventional helicopters.