Blade
Blade is an asset-light urban air mobility company that arranges helicopter, seaplane, fixed-wing, and medical-organ transport services through third-party aviation operators.
Last updated October 14, 2026
AI crawler reads
2requests
1companies- Anthropic2
- Profile
- 2
- Controversies
- 0
- JSON · MD
- 0
- First read
- Nov 4, 2026
- Latest read
- Nov 4, 2026
From this site's server log
Overview
Blade, legally known as Blade Air Mobility, Inc., is a New York City-based aviation and transportation company focused on urban air mobility and time-sensitive air logistics. Rather than owning or operating a large aircraft fleet, Blade combines a consumer-facing brand, digital booking technology, terminal infrastructure, and a network of contracted aviation operators. This asset-light model allows the company to sell individual seats, full-aircraft charters, airport transfers, and specialized medical logistics while limiting its direct exposure to aircraft ownership and operating costs. The company began service in 2014 under the Blade brand, offering helicopter transportation between Manhattan and destinations in the Hamptons, including Southampton, East Hampton, and Montauk. Its early proposition was to make short-distance private aviation easier to book and more accessible through a mobile application. Blade subsequently experimented with partnerships and event-based services, including UberChopper, seasonal by-the-seat jet service under the BLADEone name, airport transfers, festival transportation, and scheduled or crowdsourced flights in which unused seats could be sold to additional passengers. Blade's core passenger business operates on relatively short routes, generally between approximately 10 and 100 miles, in densely populated or high-value travel corridors where helicopters, seaplanes, or other aircraft can save substantial time compared with roads or ferries. Notable services have included Manhattan connections to John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, Manhattan-to-Hamptons routes, Vancouver-to-Victoria helicopter service, and flights between Nice and Monaco. Blade Airport, launched in 2019 and later relaunched after a pandemic-related suspension, connects Manhattan heliports with New York-area airports. The company expanded beyond its original New York base through international partnerships and acquisitions. It entered India through a partnership with Hunch Ventures, launching Blade India services linking urban heliports in Mumbai with Pune and Shirdi. In Canada, it acquired exclusive rights to Helijet's scheduled passenger business in Vancouver. In Southern Europe, it acquired the commercial passenger transport activities of Monacair, Héli Sécurité, and Azur Hélicoptère, strengthening its presence around Monaco and the French Riviera. A major strategic development was Blade's expansion into medical logistics. In 2021, it acquired Trinity Air Medical and created the MediMobility Organ Transport business. This division coordinates the movement of human organs for transplantation using rotorcraft, fixed-wing aircraft, and ground vehicles. Medical missions frequently take place outside peak consumer travel periods, allowing Blade to use its operating network more continuously. The company has described organ transport as a potential early application for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft because hospitals and transplant centers already require established time-sensitive transport routes and landing infrastructure. Blade became a publicly traded company on Nasdaq on May 10, 2021, after completing a business combination with Experience Investment Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company sponsored by KSL Capital Partners. The transaction changed the corporate name from Blade Urban Air Mobility to Blade Air Mobility. Public-company status supported the company's effort to build a platform that could eventually accommodate electric vertical aircraft, while its present operations continue to rely mainly on conventional helicopters, seaplanes, airplanes, and ground vehicles operated by partners. Blade has positioned itself as an infrastructure, technology, and customer-access company rather than an aircraft manufacturer. Its long-term strategy is to develop the ecosystem needed for future electric vertical aircraft, including terminals, booking technology, operating relationships, and brand familiarity. In February 2023, it participated in a test flight of an electric vertical aircraft at Westchester County Airport, an early demonstration of the type of technology the company hopes to integrate. Blade remains active in passenger transportation and medical logistics, although its operations have also attracted criticism from residents and environmental campaigners concerned about helicopter noise, luxury emissions, and increased air traffic in communities such as the Hamptons.
History
Blade was founded by Robert S. Wiesenthal and began operating on May 26, 2014. Its initial service connected Manhattan with popular Hamptons destinations, including Southampton, East Hampton, and Montauk. The company sought to apply the convenience of app-based booking to short-distance helicopter travel, initially targeting passengers willing to pay for substantial time savings over congested roads. During its first years, Blade tested several formats for premium and shared aviation. In 2014 it worked with Uber on UberChopper, allowing Uber customers to arrange helicopter trips to the Hamptons. In 2015 it introduced BLADEone, a seasonal by-the-seat jet product serving Manhattan–Miami and Manhattan–Aspen. It also operated special services around the United Nations General Assembly and Pope Francis's 2015 visit to New York. Blade later provided transportation connected with the Sundance Film Festival and experimented with scheduled service between Boston and Nantucket under the Uber Air name. The company expanded its route network in 2017, adding service to the Hamptons and numerous summer camps across the northeastern United States. In 2018, Blade completed a Series B financing round involving Colony-NorthStar, Lerer Hippeau, Airbus Helicopters, and LionTree Ventures. That year it also announced an Indian urban air mobility pilot with Hunch Ventures. Blade India began service in 2019, linking Mumbai-area heliports with Pune and Shirdi. In New York, Blade launched BLADE Airport in March 2019, providing helicopter transfers between Manhattan and JFK. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted passenger aviation and temporarily suspended BLADE Airport service. Blade responded with health-screening measures and, in November 2020, introduced pre-boarding coronavirus testing for U.S. flights. It also maintained brand visibility through nontraditional experiences, including a socially distanced drive-in premiere of Disney+'s Artemis Fowl in partnership with Andrew Saffir and The Cinema Society. A decisive corporate milestone came on May 10, 2021, when Blade became a publicly traded company through its merger with Experience Investment Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company sponsored by KSL Capital Partners. The transaction resulted in the public company Blade Air Mobility and the Nasdaq ticker BLDE. The listing gave Blade access to public capital markets while preserving its core asset-light approach: aircraft are generally supplied and operated by vetted third-party partners, while Blade concentrates on customers, technology, terminals, scheduling, and network coordination. Blade also broadened its business beyond passenger travel. In 2021 it acquired Trinity Air Medical and established MediMobility Organ Transport, a dedicated organ-logistics operation using helicopters, airplanes, and ground transportation. The division serves hospitals and organ procurement organizations and is designed to coordinate the full journey of a transplant organ. In December of that year, Blade entered Vancouver by acquiring exclusive rights to Helijet's scheduled passenger business. In 2022 it expanded around the French Riviera by acquiring commercial passenger transport activities associated with Monacair, Héli Sécurité, and Azur Hélicoptère. It also formed a partnership with JetBlue under which Mosaic+ members could receive complimentary seats on qualifying Blade Airport transfers. Blade's strategic narrative has increasingly centered on future electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The company does not manufacture, operate, or maintain such aircraft; instead, it aims to provide the surrounding ecosystem required for their commercial use. That ecosystem includes urban landing sites, terminals, digital booking, route development, operator relationships, and a recognized customer brand. On February 14, 2023, Blade conducted an eVTOL test flight at Westchester County Airport, described as the first piloted test of its kind in the New York tri-state area. The company has faced community and environmental criticism. Residents and local officials in the Hamptons have disputed the effects of helicopter traffic at East Hampton Airport, especially noise and operating-hour restrictions. In 2015, the Town of East Hampton adopted limits on nighttime operations and on aircraft classified as particularly noisy. The airport's regulatory framework has also been involved in litigation concerning federal grant assurances and local authority. In 2023, Extinction Rebellion protesters demonstrated outside the West 30th Street Heliport, criticizing Blade and other operators for what activists characterized as luxury emissions. The reference material reports that in August 2025 Joby Aviation agreed to acquire Blade's passenger rideshare business for $125 million. The transaction represents a potential separation between Blade's consumer passenger platform and its medical-organ logistics activities, reinforcing the strategic value of Blade's passenger network and urban air mobility infrastructure to an electric-aircraft manufacturer.
- 2023
eVTOL test flight
[1]Blade conducts a piloted electric vertical aircraft test at Westchester County Airport.
- 2022
Southern European expansion
[1]Blade acquires passenger transport activities associated with three French Riviera and Monaco operators.
- 2021
Blade becomes publicly traded
[1]The company completes its SPAC merger and begins Nasdaq trading as Blade Air Mobility.
- 2021
MediMobility Organ Transport is established
[1]Blade acquires Trinity Air Medical and expands into dedicated transplant-organ transportation.
- 2019
BLADE Airport launches
[1]Blade begins helicopter transfers between Manhattan and JFK Airport.
- 2018
Series B financing completed
[1]Blade closes a Series B round with participation from strategic and venture investors.
- 2015
BLADEone launches
[1]The company introduces seasonal by-the-seat jet service between Manhattan and Miami or Aspen.
- 2014
Blade begins operations
[1]Blade launches helicopter service between Manhattan and destinations in the Hamptons.
Products and positioning
A technology-enabled, asset-light urban air mobility platform that provides premium short-distance passenger travel and specialized air logistics while preparing the infrastructure and customer network for future electric vertical aircraft.
Urban helicopter and seaplane travel · 2014
Short Distance
Blade's Short Distance business sells seats on scheduled or semi-scheduled flights generally covering approximately 10 to 100 miles. Services operate between Blade terminals in markets such as New York, Vancouver, and Southern Europe, using helicopters and amphibious aircraft supplied by operating partners. Customers can also book an entire aircraft or request a flight at a preferred time, with unused seats potentially offered to other travelers.
Airport transfer · 2019
BLADE Airport
BLADE Airport provides helicopter transfers between Manhattan heliports and New York-area airports. Its principal routes have connected Manhattan with John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, offering a time-saving alternative to road transportation. The JFK service launched in 2019, was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and resumed in 2021.
Premium seasonal jet service · 2015
BLADEone
BLADEone was a seasonal by-the-seat jet offering designed for premium leisure travel. Its initial routes linked Manhattan with Miami and Aspen, targeting periods of high demand such as Art Basel and the winter travel season. The product illustrates Blade's early effort to combine private-aviation convenience with a shared-seat commercial format.
Medical air logistics · 2021
MediMobility Organ Transport
MediMobility Organ Transport coordinates time-critical human-organ movements for hospitals and organ procurement organizations. Its multimodal service combines rotorcraft, fixed-wing aircraft, and ground vehicles, allowing Blade to manage transport from collection through delivery. The business uses the company's operator network and can complement consumer passenger demand because many medical missions occur at night or during other off-peak periods.
Urban air mobility · 2019
Blade India
Blade India was developed with Hunch Ventures as an urban helicopter mobility service. Its initial routes connected Blade-branded urban heliports in the Mumbai area with Pune and Shirdi, offering a faster alternative to congested surface transportation for selected intercity journeys.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Artemis Fowl drive-in premiere
United States
Blade worked with Andrew Saffir and The Cinema Society on a socially distanced drive-in premiere of Disney+'s Artemis Fowl.
Outcome. The event maintained brand visibility during the pandemic, when conventional passenger aviation was disrupted.
- 2016Sundance Festival aviation program
New York and Utah
Blade provided BLADEone jet transportation to the Sundance Film Festival and arranged helicopter transfers from Salt Lake City to a private-farm lounge near the festival.
Outcome. The program extended Blade's premium event-travel proposition beyond its standard regional routes.
- 2015New York cross-town shuttle
New York City
During the United Nations General Assembly and Pope Francis's visit to New York, Blade offered frequent short helicopter transfers across Manhattan.
Outcome. The limited event service positioned Blade as a rapid mobility option during periods of severe urban congestion.
- 2014UberChopper
New York and the Hamptons
Blade partnered with Uber over the Fourth of July weekend to make helicopter trips to the Hamptons bookable through Uber's mobile application.
Outcome. The collaboration increased exposure for app-based helicopter booking and demonstrated Blade's partnership-led customer acquisition model.
Brand decisions
2025
Agree to sell the passenger rideshare business to Joby AviationM&ABackground
The transaction reflects Joby's interest in acquiring an established passenger network and Blade's continuing separation of consumer mobility from specialized medical logistics.
Action taken
Joby Aviation agreed to acquire Blade's passenger rideshare business.
Aftermath
The reference material indicates that Blade's medical-organ transportation activities remain outside the passenger rideshare transaction.
2023
Test electric vertical aircraftOtherBackground
Blade's long-term strategy depends on integrating quieter, lower-emission, and potentially lower-cost electric vertical aircraft into its mobility network.
Action taken
The company conducted a piloted eVTOL test flight at Westchester County Airport.
Aftermath
The test provided an operational demonstration of the technology Blade expects to support through its terminals, technology, and customer platform.
2021
Acquire Trinity Air MedicalM&ABackground
Blade wanted to diversify beyond consumer passenger travel and build a logistics business with demand less dependent on leisure and business travel.
Action taken
Blade acquired Trinity Air Medical and integrated its air and ground organ-transport capabilities into MediMobility Organ Transport.
Aftermath
The transaction established medical-organ logistics as a major Blade business line and supported the company's broader multimodal transport strategy.
2021
Complete the Experience Investment Corp. mergerM&ABackground
Blade pursued access to public capital markets to support expansion in passenger mobility, medical logistics, and future electric aviation.
Action taken
Blade merged with Experience Investment Corp. and became a Nasdaq-listed company under the Blade Air Mobility name.
Aftermath
The transaction made Blade a public urban air mobility company and established the BLDE ticker.
2014
Adopt an asset-light aviation modelStrategyBackground
Blade sought to provide urban air transportation without taking on the capital requirements and operating responsibilities of owning a large aircraft fleet.
Action taken
The company built a platform around contracted aircraft operators, booking technology, terminals, and customer demand.
Aftermath
The model became central to Blade's expansion and its plan to transition passenger routes to electric vertical aircraft when commercially and regulatorily feasible.
Recent events
Reported
Blade partnered with Helijet to offer scheduled flights in Canada[3]
Blade Air Mobility entered a partnership with Helijet International, gaining exclusive rights to offer scheduled helicopter flights operated by Helijet in Canada and access to passenger terminals at heliports controlled by Helijet subsidiary Pacific Heliport Services.
Reported
Eve reaches agreement with BLADE on electric aircraft capacity[4]
Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions reached an agreement with BLADE to provide up to 60,000 flight hours per year using electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, for use in major markets in Florida and on the West Coast beginning in 2026. Aircraft availability is subject to definitive agreements.
Reported
Razer announces updated Blade 15 laptops[5]
Razer announced updated Blade 15 notebooks with Intel 11th-generation H-Series chips and a full-HD webcam. The Blade 15 Advanced was scheduled to open for pre-orders on May 17 ahead of a June release.
Reported
Wisk Aero and Blade partner on electric air-taxi service[6]
Wisk Aero and Blade Urban Air Mobility announced a partnership under which Wisk will own and operate up to 30 aircraft on short routes using Blade's private aviation terminal network. The agreement provides for compensation based on flight time and a minimum flight-time guarantee.
Reported
Blade Corp files for bankruptcy in the United States[7]
Blade Corp, Blade's US arm, filed for bankruptcy in the California Northern Bankruptcy Court on March 3, 2021.
Reported
Blade partners with Vertiport Chicago[8]
Blade partnered with Vertiport Chicago for the exclusive right to sell passenger flights by the seat at the location. The partnership provides Blade access to Chicago.
Reported
Vertiport Chicago to be rebranded as Vertiport Chicago Powered by Blade[8]
The article reported that Vertiport Chicago would be rebranded as Vertiport Chicago Powered by Blade; the rebrand was described as planned, not completed.
Reported
Razer refreshes Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17 laptops[9]
Razer refreshed its Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17 laptops, adding display options up to 360Hz and options for NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics. The Blade 15 was scheduled to go on sale January 12, while the Blade Pro 17 was due in the coming months.
Reported
ZTE unveils Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition and Blade 20 Pro 5G[10]
ZTE unveiled two phone models at the China Mobile Global Partner Conference: the Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition and Blade 20 Pro 5G. The article said the Blade 20 Pro 5G would go on sale on November 30.
Reported
ZTE announces Blade V2020 5G[11]
ZTE announced its Blade V2020 5G smartphone. The article reported a 6GB+128GB configuration and a presale price of 1,399 yuan in ZTE's official store, with a 1,299-yuan presale price on Tmall.
Sources14 sources
- 1Blade Air Mobilityen.wikipedia.org
- 2Blade official websiteblade.com
- 3Blade 与 Helijet 合作在加拿大提供定期航班flyingmag.com
- 4Eve与BLADE达成电动飞行器合作协议riotimesonline.com
- 5Razer宣布升级Blade 15笔记本engadget.com
- 6Wisk Aero与Blade合作推出电动空中出租车服务finance.sina.com.cn
- 7Blade Corp在美国申请破产wccftech.com
- 8Blade与Vertiport Chicago建立合作verticalmag.com
- 9雷蛇升级 Blade 15 和 Blade Pro 17 笔记本电脑windowscentral.com
- 10中兴发布 Axon 20 5G 至尊版和 Blade 20 Pro 5Gfinance.sina.com.cn
- 11中兴公布Blade V2020 5Gfinance.sina.com.cn
- 12CES 2021: Razer updates Blade laptops with Nvidia RTX 30 series GPUs - KitGurukitguru.net
- 13Razer unveils new Blade gaming laptops at CES 2021mobilesyrup.com
- 14Razer updates Blade laptops with RTX 30 GPUs, new CPUs, and DDR5 memorytechspot.com
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/blade · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled