Skip to main content

Uber helicopter service set for Manhattan

Uber is to launch a helicopter service in New York City which is expected to offer flights from Lower Manhattan to Kennedy International Airport in eight minutes. A New York Times report says the average flight on the Uber Copter will cost $200-225 per person and include ground transportation on both ends of the trip. Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate - the ride-hailing firm’s aerial division - says: “Our plan is to eventually roll out Uber Copter to more Uber customers and to other cities, but we want
June 12, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
8336 Uber is to launch a helicopter service in New York City which is expected to offer flights from Lower Manhattan to Kennedy International Airport in eight minutes.


A %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external New York Times false https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/travel/uber-helicopter-nyc-jfk.html false false%> report says the average flight on the Uber Copter will cost $200-225 per person and include ground transportation on both ends of the trip.

Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate - the ride-hailing firm’s aerial division - says: “Our plan is to eventually roll out Uber Copter to more Uber customers and to other cities, but we want to do it right. The main goal of this initial venture is to understand the operations behind aerial vehicles.”

Starting on 9 July, Uber Copters will be available to Platinum and Diamond members of Uber Rewards - the company’s loyalty programme.

These members will be able to book Uber Copter on demand or up to five days in advance. Each chopper can carry up to five passengers and will operate from Monday to Friday during the afternoon rush hour. Users receive a boarding pass via email after reserving their seats.

Uber Copters in Manhattan will take off and land from a heliport near Staten Island Ferry. In Kennedy, the helicopters will depart and land at a helipad near Terminal 8.

HeliFlite, a helicopter transportation service, will operate the Uber Copters. Two pilots will be on board for each flight while riders will watch a safety video before the journey.

Customers will only be allowed to carry one personal bag and one carry-on weighing no more than 40 pounds.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Need for co-operation highlighted at MaaS Market Atlanta conference
    April 23, 2018
    City authorities worldwide need to work more closely together to shape the future of on-demand transportation services. Such co-operation could help reduce congestion and pollution, and improve the lives of citizens - that is the view of leading international experts who will be addressing MaaS Market – Concept to Delivery – the third Mobility as a Service (MaaS) conference to be run by ITS International.
  • Voom’s San Francisco helicopter service lifts off
    October 8, 2019
    Voom is offering helicopter flights to five airports in the San Francisco Bay Area which it says will provide an affordable way to fly over traffic. Voom CEO Clément Monnet says: “Our service will make it easy and affordable for business travellers to travel quickly from locations such as the San Francisco airport to San Jose in only 20 minutes, rather than sitting in traffic for hours trying to get to a meeting.” Voom, an Airbus company with operations in São Paolo and Mexico City , can pool up to five
  • USDOT: webinar on applications for TAMPA’s connected vehicle pilot
    January 8, 2018
    Representatives from the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) will share their experiences in designing the Wrong Way Entry and Pedestrian in Crosswalk applications at The U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT's) free webinar on the Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program, 17 January. These technologies have the potential to save lives, improve personal mobility, enhance economic productivity, reduce environmental impacts, and transform public agency operations. The pilot, sponsored by
  • Easylux shows new Autonomous Mini retroreflectometer
    March 20, 2018
    A breakthrough in the size and capabilities of retroreflectometers is being claimed by Brazilian company Easylux with its new Autonomous Mini model. Retroreflectometers have been shrinking steadily over the decades, and a current model usually weighs about 8-10kg. However, Easylux’s model cuts the size and weight of the devices to just 2kg – “completely impossible to imagine two or three years ago”, said company founder Eng. Gustavo Felipe Paolillo. The new model is battery-powered and, once laid on a highw