“We’re excited to introduce Uber customers to the magic of seamless urban air travel,” JoeBen Bevirt, Joby founder and chief executive, said in a statement. “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.”
Joby builds electric flying craft that take off and land like helicopters but fly like planes. The company is trying to create a market for urban passengers looking for quick, quiet flights to major airports.
California-based Joby is building a manufacturing site for components near the Dayton International Airport on Concorde Drive.
In 2024, Blade flew more than 50,000 passengers across a network of routes in the New York metropolitan area and Southern Europe, including high-traffic destinations such as Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Manhattan and the Hamptons, Joby said.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“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 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.”
Joby and Uber have been working together since 2019. In 2021, Joby acquired Uber’s Elevate division.
Joby acquired Blade’s passenger business last month and said it intends to capitalize on Blade’s existing infrastructure to launch air taxi service in markets such as Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, the United Kingdom and Japan.
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