Uber aims to lead the eVTOL charge
Taxi-app provider Uber declared
its intention to become the
leading force in urban air
mobility back in May 2018
with its Uber Elevate initiative.
It is working with several
manufacturers including Bell
and Embraer to develop eVTOLs
and with business aviation
companies including Signature,
to develop the infrastructure
and systems to operate them.
Last July the company
launched Uber Copter in
partnership with aviation
provider Heliflite in New York,
USA. Uber Copter offers Uber
app users transportation from
lower Manhattan to JFK Airport
for US$225 and is a trial ahead
of the planned launch of its
Uber Air service in 2023.
Speaking during the
keynote address at NBAA-BACE
conference in October 2019, Eric
Allison, head of Uber Elevate,
stressed how Uber Copter was
teaching the company about
how important a smooth and
fast transition from ground to
air transport is: “How to get
people from cars into aircraft in
a seamless way is key,” he said.
“We needed to start learning
how to do this and create a
seamless 2-3 minute experience
from the car to the helicopter.
“When Uber Air launches
and pooled we think we can
drive the price down we will
be able to compete with Uber
X and then eventually with car
ownership. It won’t happen right
away but it will happen.”
The company plans to launch
Uber Air in Dallas Fort-Worth,
Texas, Los Angeles, California
and Melbourne, Australia.
“Customers are paying for
speed and convenience
– if you can’t provide that
with eVTOLs you won’t have
a solution”
Glenn Isbell, vice president of prototyping, Bell
U R B A N A I R M O B I L I T Y
58 | BU S INE S S A I R P O RT INT E RNAT I ONA L JA N UA RY 2 0 2 0
Left: Architecture firm
Corgan has designed
a number of airport
concepts for Uber Air,
including this retrofit
design for rooftops