Blade Air Mobility
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation, Urban air mobility |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Robert S. Wiesenthal |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, Southern Europe, India |
Key people | Robert S. Wiesenthal (CEO) |
| Products | Urban air mobility platform; passenger travel; organ transport services |
| Website | flyblade |
Blade Air Mobility, Inc. (branded as BLADE) is an aviation enterprise headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. Blade operates an urban air mobility platform that facilitates passenger travel and critical last-mile cargo delivery, predominantly utilizing helicopters and amphibious aircraft throughout the United States, Canada, Southern Europe, and India. Additionally, it serves as a leading global transporter of human organs for transplantation. Blade became publicly traded on Nasdaq on May 10, 2021, following a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
Short Distance
Blade’s Short Distance division allows travelers to reserve seats through its mobile application on flights connecting Blade terminals located in New York, Vancouver, and Southern Europe. These trips generally cover distances ranging from 10 to 100 miles and employ helicopters and amphibious seaplanes; customers may also charter entire aircraft. Empty seats can be offered to other passengers via crowdsourcing at times selected by the original customer.
Operating within highly congested urban regions, the Short Distance segment primarily competes against ground transportation and ferry services. This division reported $45 million in revenue during 2022.
The company’s inaugural Short Distance route launched in 2014, linking Manhattan with Southampton, East Hampton, and Montauk. In March 2019, Blade introduced its BLADE Airport service connecting Manhattan to JFK Airport. Although temporarily halted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this service resumed in June 2021 and expanded by adding a new route between Manhattan and Newark Liberty International Airport in November 2021.
In December 2021, Blade entered the Vancouver market by acquiring exclusive rights to Helijet’s scheduled passenger operations, which had been generating approximately half of its pre-pandemic annualized revenue of $15 million. Furthering its European expansion in September 2022, Blade acquired the commercial passenger businesses of three urban air mobility operators: Monacair SAM, Héli Sécurité, and Azur Hélicoptère.
Key routes
- Manhattan to/from JFK – helicopter transfers connecting Blade terminals in Manhattan (West 30th Street Heliport or East 34th Street Heliport) with JFK Airport in Queens, New York.
- Manhattan to/from EWR – helicopter service between Manhattan’s West 30th Street Heliport and Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey.
- Manhattan to/from the Hamptons – helicopter transfers linking Blade terminals in Manhattan with Long Island destinations such as East Hampton, Sag Harbor, and Montauk.
- Vancouver to/from Victoria – helicopter flights between Vancouver Harbour and Victoria.
- Nice to/from Monaco – helicopter connections between Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and the Monaco Heliport.
MediMobility Organ Transport
Blade broadened its operations into organ transportation in 2021 through the acquisition of Trinity Air Medical, establishing itself as the largest dedicated air carrier of human organs for transplantation within the United States. This segment provides hospitals and organ procurement organizations with comprehensive multi-modal transport solutions involving rotorcraft, fixed-wing aircraft, and ground vehicles. MediMobility missions generally operate overnight utilizing the same aircraft employed for passenger services to maximize asset efficiency. Blade identifies organ transport as a strategic opportunity for future integration of drones or eVTOL technology given existing hospital infrastructure. The Short Distance segment generated $71.8 million in revenue during 2022.
Business model
Blade operates using an asset-light strategy, collaborating with a carefully selected network of aircraft operators instead of owning or directly managing its own fleet. This model emphasizes safety, operational efficiency, and financial soundness. Initially structured for growth and profitability with traditional aircraft, Blade is well-prepared to transition to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, which offer advantages such as quieter operation, zero emissions, and reduced operating expenses.
In April 2023, CEO Robert S. Wiesenthal highlighted Blade’s commitment to developing the eVTOL ecosystem—focusing on terminal infrastructure, technological innovation, and brand building—while deliberately excluding manufacturing, operations, and maintenance responsibilities.
2014–2016
Founded by Robert S. Wiesenthal, Blade commenced operations on Memorial Day 2014 by providing helicopter routes connecting Manhattan with Southampton, East Hampton, and Montauk.
Over the 2014 Fourth of July weekend, Blade collaborated with Uber to launch UberChopper, a service allowing customers to book helicopter trips to The Hamptons through the Uber app.
In December 2015, Blade rolled out BLADEone, a seasonal jet service offering individual seat bookings between Manhattan and destinations such as Miami and Aspen, debuting during Art Basel.
During the September 2015 UN General Assembly and Pope Francis's visit to New York City, Blade operated a frequent cross-town shuttle service designed to bypass heavy traffic.
At the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, Blade provided BLADEone jet flights between New York City and Park City, Utah, complemented by a private lounge and helicopter transfers from Salt Lake City International Airport.
For Memorial Day 2016, in partnership with Uber Boston, Blade launched Uber Air featuring scheduled flights on nine-passenger Cessna Grand Caravan turboprops between Boston and its Nantucket lounge—covering approximately 90 miles in 40 minutes.
2017–2019
In 2017, Blade broadened its service offerings between Manhattan and The Hamptons, extending access to more than 20 camps located in Maine, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York.
On March 22, 2018, Blade secured Series B funding led by Colony-North Star and Lerer-Hippeau, with participation from Airbus Helicopters and LionTree Ventures.
By December 2018, Blade announced plans for an Urban Air Mobility Pilot Program in India through a collaboration with Hunch Ventures. Launched in fall 2019, Blade India facilitates helicopter transport between urban heliports connecting cities such as Juhu and Mahalaxmi with Pune and Shirdi.
2020–present
In June 2020, Blade teamed up with Andrew Saffir to host a socially distanced drive-in premiere event for Disney+’s Artemis Fowl.
In November 2020, Blade became the first aviation company in the U.S. to mandate COVID-19 testing before boarding flights, utilizing tests provided by CrowdRX.
On May 10, 2021, Blade became the first publicly traded urban air mobility company after merging via SPAC with Experience Investment Corp., backed by KSL Capital Partners. The company rebranded from Blade Urban Air Mobility to Blade Air Mobility while maintaining BLADE Urban Air as a wholly owned subsidiary.
In September 2021, Blade acquired Trinity Air Medical for $23 million, integrating comprehensive nationwide organ logistics services combining both air and ground transportation.
In December 2021, Blade entered the Vancouver market by purchasing exclusive rights to Helijet’s scheduled passenger operations for close to $12 million. At the time of acquisition, Helijet’s revenue was roughly half of its pre-pandemic annualized rate of US$15 million.
In May 2022, Blade announced it would acquire commercial passenger transport operations from three European urban air mobility providers: Monacair SAM, Héli Sécurité, and Azur Hélicoptère.
In June 2022, a partnership with JetBlue was established to offer Mosaic+ members complimentary seats on helicopter transfers connecting JetBlue flights at JFK and EWR airports.
Blade conducted the first piloted eVTOL test flight in the tri-state region at Westchester County Airport on February 14, 2023.
In August 2025, Joby Aviation agreed to acquire Blade’s passenger rideshare division for $125 million.
Opposition
The municipally owned East Hampton Airport has encountered resistance from the local community due to rising air traffic and associated noise concerns. Tensions have emerged between area residents and local officials regarding the acceptance of funds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Recently, the Town of East Hampton decided to finance the airport independently, which has allowed for the implementation of more stringent air traffic controls.
On April 16, 2015, the Town introduced regulations that restrict flights, including a nightly curfew from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM and limitations on aircraft producing an Effective Perceived Noise in Decibels (EPNdB) of 91.0 or higher. These noisier aircraft are prohibited from operating between 8:00 PM and 9:00 AM throughout the year and are limited to one landing and takeoff each week. A legal challenge has been filed contesting the FAA’s waiver of grant assurances that permitted these restrictions.
In September 2023, six activists affiliated with Extinction Rebellion were detained outside the W. 30th Street Heliport during protests aimed at Blade and other companies, criticizing their excessive "luxury emissions."