Companies Eye Expansion Beyond British Columbia After Shared Infrastructure Deal

Helijet International, the largest helicopter-based airline in Canada, has made an agreement with Blade Urban Air Mobility, for the sale of exclusive booking rights along Helijet's scheduled service routes, which will continue to be operated by Helijet.

The sale is part of a new partnership geared towards expanding routes and preparing the way for sustainable electric VTOL aircraft into the British Columbia Market. For customers, the integration with Blade will be seamless, only noted by new additional booking features as part of the online process.

The duo will combine their expertise to accelerate the introduction and infrastructure for sustainable electric transportation, especially in the Pacific Northwest. The sometimes sparse, infrequent settlements of the region could prove to be an excellent match for AAM aircraft, allowing for rapid aerial transit between larger cities, islands, or communities with far less overhead than traditional general aviation solutions. Blade's current investments in "vertiport" infrastructure provides access for Helijet subsidiary Pacific Heliport Services to their network already in place. Pacific's current portfolio of heliports in waterfront locations in Vancouver, Victoria, and Nanaimo will be opened to Blade in turn, preventing needless dublication of service locations in either network. 

“Helijet and Blade are partnering to ensure our combined leadership in the early adoption of EVA on existing routes in British Columbia, as well as the new services Blade may launch in the future,” explained Danny Sitnam, President of Helijet. “EVA technologies are going to change aviation in the same way that the jet engine revolutionized air travel 60 years ago. EVA will make urban air mobility more efficient, more sustainable, and more affordable. In Blade, we have found a unique partner that shares our commitment to customer service and experience, safety and innovation. Together, we are looking forward to a future that is literally just around the corner.”

FMI:www.helijet.com, www.ir.blade.com