Vancouver-based Helijet has signed a $12 million deal with Blade Air Mobility that will give Blade exclusive access to the passenger routes Helijet has developed over the past 30 years. Helijet will continue to own and operate the aircraft but Blade will sell the tickets and take the business into the nascent urban mobility era. “The addition of Helijet’s scheduled passenger business will make Blade the largest Urban Air Mobility service in North America,” said Rob Wiesenthal, Chief Executive Officer of Blade. The companies intend to introduce electrically powered vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) to serve its West Coast routes.
Helijet’s short-hop service between Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and Seattle essentially pioneered the model envisioned in the new eVTOL phenomenon. Introducing the new EVA eVTOLs to a long-established market is a cornerstone of the deal. “Blade and Helijet are partnering to ensure our combined leadership in the early adoption of EVA on existing routes in British Columbia, as well as on the new services Blade may launch in the future,” said Danny Sitnam, President of Helijet. “EVA technologies are going to change aviation in the same way that the jet engine revolutionized air travel 60 years ago. EVA will make Urban Air Mobility more efficient, more sustainable and more affordable. In Blade, we have found a unique partner that shares our commitment to customer service and experience, safety and innovation.”