Uber says helicopter rides may be coming to Europe in deal with Jobby as soon as next year

You may soon be able to hop on an Uber helicopter in Southern Europe, after the electric air taxi start-up Joby Aviation announced on Wednesday that Blade Air Mobility helicopters will be available on the ride-hailing app from next year. 

The company did not say exactly where the helicopters will be available, but it noted that last year it flew more than 50,000 passengers across a network of routes in the New York metropolitan area and in Southern Europe, including to airports.

Meanwhile, in Europe Blade touts its chartered helicopter flights between Nice and Monaco, among other destinations.

However, no specific routes for the Uber partnership have yet been announced. 

“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,” JoeBen Bevirt, founder and chief executive of Joby, said in a press release. 

“Together with Uber’s global platform and Blade’s proven network, we’re setting the stage for a new era of air travel worldwide,” Bevirt added. 

Last month, Joby acquired Blade’s passenger business, but Blade’s medical division, which moves live organs, is still a separate company. 

Uber’s partnership comes through Joby Aviation, an electric air taxi maker.  Joby and Uber have been working together on urban air mobility since 2019. 

"Since Uber’s earliest days, we’ve believed in the power of advanced air mobility to deliver safe, quiet, and sustainable transportation to cities around the world,” said Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s president and chief operating officer.

“By harnessing the scale of the Uber platform and partnering with Joby, the industry leader in advanced air mobility, we’re excited to bring our customers the next generation of travel," Macdonald said.