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Uber and Airbus team up to offer helicopter rides
BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Uber is one of the most popular ride services and it’s going to become even more popular now that we are offered a helicopter service from Uber and Airbus.
Taxies are already a thing of the past and on-demand ride companies are starting to replace them slowly but surely. The main reason is that these companies, Uber especially, seems to be seen as more trustworthy.
And because the company obviously wants to stay at the top of the riding chain, they are raising the stakes and partnering up with Airbus. Therefore, in case you’re in a real hurry and even though an Uber car will come as soon as possible when called for, you might still encounter a traffic jam on your way. This is why you will now have the option of asking for air transportation from Uber via helicopters provided by Airbus.
But this concept isn’t really new. In 2013, the company launched the UberChopper which transported people from Manhattan to the Hamptons. Moreover, they also provided helicopter rides at big events such as the Bonnaroo Arts Festival.
On the other hand, Uber is not the first to think of such a service. Their competitor, Blade, has already offered helicopter rides to beat traffic in New York City when the Pope was there. All you had to do was reserve a seat via mobile application and pay at least $95 for the five minute ride.
Although, Blade has had quite a success with their helicopter rides, Uber is planning on launching the new service this year at the Sundance Film festival where they will provide rides with an Airbus H125 and H130 helicopters.
However, this is still a pilot project. If everything goes well at the Sundance Film festival, the company might make it into a full-time service. So far, they didn’t announce any prices for the helicopter service but don’t expect it to be too cheap. After all, the car rides aren’t exactly cheap either and getting in a few minutes from one part of the city to the other might make you empty your pockets.
But, all in all, although only some of us will be able to afford it, the helicopter service from Uber and Airbus sound really interesting and should be tried at least once.
Image source: www.bing.com
