Uber not only operates the network of car hailing on the ground, but alsoexpands its business into the air.
The New York Times reported that consumers will be able to book Uber's helicopter service (Uber Copter) from July 9. This flight service runs betweenManhattan and JFK International Airport for a single trip of approximately 8minutes and costs $200-225 per person.
Each helicopter can take up to five passengers and is limited by the cabin space. Each passenger can only carry one backpack and carry-on baggage of no more than 40 pounds (about 18 kilograms). Uber's flight business director Eric Allison told the New York Times that the company plans to launch helicopter services in more cities in the future.
Business people take the helicopter to and from the airport. It is nothing new in the United States. More than 160 million people take helicopters to and from the airport every year. The price of "flying" to the airport is similar to that of a Uber high-end car, but the time is much shorter.
If you take a Uber high-end car from Manhattan to JFK during peak hours, the price is about $200, which can take up to two hours. The New York Times said that UberCopter plans to control the entire helicopter journey time to 30 minutes.
The short-haul airline, Blade Urban Air Mobility, has previously launched a service from Manhattan to three major airports in New York (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark) for only 5 minutes and costs $195.
Uber naturally cannot be allowed to be looted by other companies in the air market. Uber, which started from the network car business, has entered a number of businesses, including take-out, sharing electric bicycles and autonomous driving, and vigorously promotes internationalization, positioning itself as a global transportation platform.
On May 10 this year, Uber officially listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Uber expects to emulate Amazon, although it can't achieve profitability in the “visible future”, but it can gradually accumulate influence in a large number of up-front investments, and eventually become an indispensable transportation platform.
Uber shares closed up 5.26% to $45 on Wednesday, just at the same level.
