Blade Air Mobility

2014-2016

Blade was founded by Robert S. Wiesenthal and launched on Memorial Day of 2014, with service between Manhattan, Southampton, East Hampton, and Montauk.Over the 2014 Fourth of July weekend, Blade partnered with Uber to power UberChopper, a service that allowed Uber users to book a helicopter through their mobile application to The Hamptons.In December 2015, Blade expanded its offerings and launched BLADEone, a seasonal by-the-seat jet service between Manhattan and Miami or Manhattan and Aspen. Utilizing a Gulfstream IV jet, the inaugural flight took place on December 3 in conjunction with Art Basel. Seating 12 passengers, the service aims to offer an experience that is far more luxurious than conventional air travel, including amenities such as meals designed by gourmet chefs.In September 2015 during the UN General Assembly and Pope Francis’s visit to NYC in 2015, Blade offered a 6 minute cross town shuttle departing every 15 minutes.In November 2016, Blade announced their second season of BLADEone, utilizing a Bombardier CRJ 200 commercial airline jet typically configured for 65 passengers, but retrofitted for 16. BLADEone uniforms were designed by Cynthia Rowley and Sarah Jessica Parker and dubbed as the “chicest uniforms of all time". In partnership with the Faena Hotel Blade again launched their One-Click weekend. For passengers who booked two round trip flights on BLADEone, a complimentary room at the Faena was included in addition to ground transportation between the hotel and Blade Lounge Miami.BLADEone offered direct service between New York City and Aspen, being the only direct service between those two locations. A 14-passenger Gulfstream G400 operates this flight.During the 2016 Sundance Film Festival Blade provided jet service on the BLADEone jet between NYC and the festival. They created a lounge located in a residence on a private farm and offered heli transfers from Salt Lake City International Airport to the property, located minutes from downtown.

During the 2016 Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida, Blade partnered with Yachtlife to power a by-the-seat boat shuttle between South Beach and the Artist Dock at the festival. Notable passengers included The Chainsmokers, Tiesto and Deadmau5.At the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016, Blade partnered with Uber to offer Uberchopper powered by Blade, a helicopter service between Los Angeles and Coachella Valley at the Thermal Airport.In partnership with Uber Boston, Blade launched Uber Air over Memorial Day 2016 with scheduled flights between Boston and the Blade Lounge in Nantucket. Utilizing a nine-passenger Cessna Grand Caravan turboprop plane from Boston to the island, Blade was able to cover the 90-mile distance in 40 minutes.In August 2016, Blade partnered with T-Mobile to create a same-day Hamptons beach experience. Flights departed Sunday mornings to East Hampton Airport where ground transportation brought passengers to the T-Mobile beach lounge where drinks and lunch were included and a flight home the same afternoon.

2017-2019

In 2017 Blade offered service to Woodbury Commons premium outlet mall. Launching over Black Friday Blade offered flights to and from the Simon-owned property between Thanksgiving and Christmas.In 2017 it partnered with Velocity and Sessanta restaurant for a Valentine's Day package which included drinks at the Blade Lounge, a helicopter downtown, ground transportation and dinner.In 2017 it began service between Manhattan and The Hamptons and to more than 20 camps in Maine, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York.In December 2018, Blade announced its intentions to launch an Urban Air Mobility Pilot Program in India. Blade is operating the service in partnership with equity investment firm Hunch Ventures. Blade India, launched in Fall 2019, enables fliers to travel by helicopter between Blade Lounges at convenient urban heliports, avoiding large commercial airports entirely and transforming unpredictable four to eight hours drives into short 35-minute flights. Initial routes connect the cities of Juhu and Mahalaxmi with heliports in Pune and Shirdi.

2020-present

In 2020 in partnership with Andrew Saffir, creator of The Cinema Society, Blade hosted a socially distanced, drive-in premier of Disney+'s 'Artemis Fowl' June 2020. The drive-in raised over $200,000 for All For The East End's Feed The Need Campaign.In November 2020, Blade became the first aviation company to require pre-boarding coronavirus testing for flights within the United States. The tests were distributed by CrowdRX, a division of Global Medical Response.On May 7, 2021, Blade became the first publicly traded urban air mobility company. In listing the company it changed its name from Blade Urban Air Mobility to Blade Air Mobility.

The stock offering was handled through the merger of Special-purpose acquisition company Experience Investment Corp. with BLADE Urban Air Mobility, Inc. The new company became BLADE Air Mobility. BLADE Urban Air became a wholly-owned subsidiary.In May 2022, it was announced Blade had acquired the asset-light commercial passenger transport activities of three European urban air mobility operators - Monacair SAM, Héli Sécurité and another leading helicopter operator in the South of France.