Blade Urban Air Mobility partners with Ross Aviation and plans to build vertiport in New York State
Blade Urban Air Mobility and Ross Aviation are teaming up to accelerate the roll out of urban air mobility services in regions where operations from both companies overlap — and intend to build a vertiport for eVTOL aircraft in Westchester County, New York.
Located at Westchester County Airport, the vertiport will include the infrastructure required to hangar, charge, stage and deploy EVA (Electric Vertical Aircraft) or eVTOL aircraft as they become commercially available. No further details have been released about the timeline of its construction.
Brandon Keene, Chief Technology Officer of Blade, said: “Following the introduction of EVA into the aviation ecosystem, geographically-constrained areas like Manhattan will become much more accessible by air on a cost-effective basis. This pilot programme, which uses conventional rotorcraft, will help us assess key use cases, drive schedule optimization, and determine flier needs for multi-modal connectivity.
“The potential for an EVA-ready vertiport at Westchester will not only catalyze the development of the industry but will enable meaningful reduction of carbon emissions and the noise footprint of short distance aviation in the region.”
The new partnership will also see Blade launch a pilot programme offering daily helicopter flights between Ross Aviation’s West Terminal at Westchester County Airport and Blade heliport terminals in Manhattan, to serve commuters from the Westchester/Connecticut area.
In 2019 alone, these commuters took more than 40 million trips commuting to and from New York City, the majority driving alone in a car for 1–2 hours in each direction. Blade expects the five-day-per-week service to begin as early as March 2021, transforming that 1–2 hour drive into a 10–15 minute flight. The price per flight per person is expected to be approximately $175. Blade expects to offer commuter passes sometime after launch that will reduce the per seat cost to $95.
Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of Blade, said: “Even with the expected increase of remote working post-pandemic, we believe that intermittent commuting of one to two times per week between the suburbs and New York City will be a reality.
“Congestion on tri-state area roads is now estimated at 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Given the combination of being near Uber Black pricing at $175, and the time savings of an approximately 12-minute flight, this service makes sense today and over the long term.”
Beyond the greater New York area, Blade and Ross Aviation intend to work together to offer Blade services and terminals at one or more Ross Aviation Fixed Based Operations (FBOs) in Bedford and Cape Cod, Massachusetts as well as Palm Springs/Thermal and Long Beach, California.
This programme is expected to launch in the second half of 2021. In addition, the companies plan to seek additional areas for cooperation as Ross Aviation adds FBOs to its network.
Brian Corbett, CEO of Ross Aviation said: “Ross Aviation is constantly looking to strengthen and expand our network. We view this alliance with Blade and our continued investment in innovative technology as a great opportunity to further enhance our flight hospitality network, enrich customers’ experiences, and strengthen our relationships with the communities we serve.
“For our existing jet customers, who value safety, time, and care above most else when traveling, our alliance with Blade will make getting to and from New York City even more efficient while attracting new customers to the Ross Aviation network.”