Mexican Media Brands
Uber Debuts Helicopter Service in NYC
Uber Technologies Inc. has launched a multimodal platform in New York City that includes a helicopter ride between lower Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International airport.
Share
Uber Technologies Inc. has launched a multimodal platform in New York City that includes a helicopter ride between lower Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International airport.
The service, which Uber has been testing since July, is now available to all Uber customers. One-way rides cost $200-$225, depending on surge rates, and include transportation in Uber cars to and from helipads.
The flight takes about eight minutes. Passengers are limited to a personal item (purse or laptop bag) and small carry-on.
The Bell helicopters are owned and operated by HeliFlite Shares LLC, which offers service on weekdays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Currently, such trips can be booked only on an Apple iPhone.
Additional destinations could be added later. Uber also may expand its multimodal platform to include such forms of transportation as scooters and bikes.
Critics note that the service is more than twice as expensive as a cab or car-only Uber ride and may not save much time when transportation to and from the helipad is factored in. Others point out that helicopters generate more air and noise pollution than cars.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Jeeps Modified for Moab
On Easter morning in Moab, Utah, when the population of that exceedingly-hard-to-get-to town in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth has more than doubled, some people won’t be hunting for Easter eggs, but will be trying to get a good look at one of the vehicles six that Jeep has prepared for real-life, fast-feedback from the assembled at the annual Easter Jeep Safari.
-
Robotic Exoskeleton Amplifies Human Strength
The Sarcos Guardian XO Max full-body, all-electric exoskeleton features strength amplification of up to 20 to 1, making 200 pounds—the suit’s upper limit—feel like 10 pounds for the user.
-
GM Develops a New Electrical Platform
GM engineers create a better electrical architecture that can handle the ever-increasing needs of vehicle systems
