Helicopter service pivots to SUVs during NYC shutdown

Bloomberg

With the vast majority of flights out of New York currently canceled and citizens sheltering in place, it would seem there isn’t much use for a helicopter service that’s made a name for itself by transporting the city’s elite above Manhattan gridlock.
But Blade Urban Air Mobility Inc quickly adapted to the new way of the world—both to aid in the fight against coronavirus and keep its workers employed. The company began its Essential Ground Connect Service program in the first week of March, leveraging its mobility and logistics expertise to compete with the likes of Uber and Lyft in navigating how to move people during a pandemic.
It’s a stark change for a company that previously focussed on reducing the cost of helicopter rides—$195 for a hop to a New York airport—and speaks to the pivots needed in the time of Covid-19, which has currently killed almost 5,500 people in New York state and has a third of humanity on lockdown.
As part of the new programme, Blade refitted its SUVs—previously used to transport customers from the helicopter landing pad to the airport—with plexiglass barriers separating the driver from the passengers; all climate controls have been adjusted to utilise only outside air, rather than recirculating interior atmosphere.
Each vehicle is thoroughly sanitised between trips, using electrostatic decontamination sprayers, while such touch points as door handles, seatbelts, and buckles are hand-cleaned by technicians.
Before each trip, drivers must undergo a temperature check, a short interview, and visual observation by a “MediMobility” team member (Blade’s organ transport division) for any health issues. Drivers wear protective gloves for opening doors and handling cargo, or riders can choose to do all this themselves.
Rob Wiesenthal, chief executive officer of Blade, estimates that the majority of passengers in these trips, about 75%, are health professionals serving the NYU Langone Health
System and the Mount Sinai Health System, going from their homes to the hospitals where they work. Blade has partnered with the hospitals to move individuals at no charge and helping transport such essential equipment as ventilators among locations.