Uber will launch Blade helicopter rides next year through expanded Joby partnership

Uber is tackling a new form of ride sharing: helicopters.

The ride hailing company on Wednesday said it will launch Blade helicopter rides on its app as soon as 2026 through its partnership with Joby Aviation, an electric air taxi maker.

The announcement comes after Joby in August closed its $125 million acquisition of Blade, a helicopter and air transportation company. The deal did not include the company's medical organ transplant division. Blade has said it chartered at least 50,000 passengers last year from 12 urban terminals.

"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," said Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt in a press release.

Uber has long aspired to bring air transportation to its platform.

The company first announced a partnership with Joby in 2019. Uber then sold its Elevate flying taxi division to Joby in 2020.

Andrew Macdonald, Uber's president and operating chief, said the partnership will usher customers into the "next generation of travel" and builds on the company's longstanding belief in air transportation. The company said it would offer more details on booking rides closer to debut.

For years, Joby has been battling it out with competitors to bring air taxi solutions to market. Proponents of the technology say it can curb traffic congestion and cut emissions, but companies are still vying for regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

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