Mumbai, the metro city’s peak hour traffic that almost doubles the travel time is a constant worry for the commuters, now finds a way out with US-based “digitally powered-aviation company” BLADE. The largest arranger of helicopter flights for civilian travel in the United States going to start its Indian operation from March 2019.The company will operate initially connecting Mumbai, departing from Juhu and Mahalaxmi, with heliports in Pune and Shirdi.
Blade, a New York, U.S-based aviation startup co-founded by former Sony and Warner Music Group executive Rob Wiesenthal and GroupMe co-founder Steve Martocci, will start operating in India from march next, with its maiden flight taking off between Mumbai and Pune.
BLADE, the app-based service touted as “Uber-for-Helipcopters’ doesn’t have any of the helicopter or plane of its own, rather it arranges flights from a network of operators. Initially it will offer services to Pune and the temple-town of Shirdi.
BLADE will operate with its indian subsidiary “Blade India” in a joint venture with a Delhi-based equity investment firm, Hunch Ventures. The joint venture has not yet settled on prices for its India service, but agreed to price the flights considerably lower comparatively to private chartered jets.
Wiesenthal informed, “By accessing consumers to this aviation service as per their their demand, we can try to ease the traffic issues of major cities in India. We are also building the foundation for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) services along with it.”
However, about its pricing in India, the company has not made it clear yet. But for reference a flight from New York’s JFK International Airport to Manhattan (approx 28km) is usually priced around $200 (Rs14,000).
Currently, in India, heli-taxis are springing up like never before. Prior to this, such service started between Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport and the city. Additionally the facility is also been available between Chandigarh and Shimla. Before the introduction of such smart helli-taxis in Mumbai, various agencies provide helicopter charters and scheduled services to Shirdi and industrial towns, Vapi and Tarapur.
Here it is worth mentioning that leading cab service aggregators Ola and Uber also have focused to launch such air-taxis very soon in India.
