Prime Highlights:
- Uber will start offering Blade helicopter rides on its app by 2026 through its partnership with electric air taxi company Joby Aviation.
- The move marks a major step for Uber into air transportation, aiming to provide premium, eco-friendly travel in cities.
Key Facts:
- Joby Aviation completed a $125 million acquisition of Blade, a helicopter and air transport company, in August 2025.
- Blade served over 50,000 passengers last year from 12 urban terminals and will now integrate with Uber’s platform.
Key Background:
Uber said on Wednesday that it will start offering Blade helicopter rides on its app by 2026. This will happen through its partnership with electric air taxi company Joby Aviation and is a big step into air travel.
The announcement follows Joby Aviation’s $125 million acquisition of Blade, a company specializing in helicopter and air transportation services, completed in August. Notably, the acquisition did not include Blade’s medical organ transplant division. Blade reported that it chartered more than 50,000 passengers last year across 12 urban terminals.
JoeBen Bevirt, CEO of Joby Aviation, said in a press release that adding Blade to the Uber app is the next step in their partnership and will help bring quiet, zero-emission aircraft to users in the coming years.
Uber has wanted to get into air travel for some time. It started working with Joby in 2019 and sold its Elevate flying taxi business to Joby in 2020. The company sees the expansion as an opportunity to introduce a new sense of convenience and efficiency to travel within the city.
Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s president and chief operating officer, highlighted that the partnership will introduce customers to the “next generation of travel” and emphasized the company’s long-term commitment to exploring air transportation solutions. Uber plans to share further details on booking and ride options closer to the 2026 launch.
Joby Aviation has been competing with other companies to bring electric air taxi services to the market. People say this technology can help reduce traffic and pollution.
