Fly Blade teams with Bristow for New York service

New York-headquartered online and app platform Blade has formed an agreement with helicopter operator Bristow US LLC for the provision of helicopters, crew and maintenance for its New York area service. Blade will provide ground support, passenger booking, on-the-ground experience and marketing.

Branded as Blade's Ultra service, it uses Sikorsky S-76 C++ helicopters and is available on a charter, crowd- sourced and scheduled basis. Customers also have access to Blade's Manhattan lounges.

Ultra II will feature a six-seat executive-style cabin interior including two captain's chairs for long-haul travel with smaller groups.

Founder and CEO Rob Wiesenthal says: “We see a tremendous opportunity with Bristow to offer high-end, on-demand helicopter service within the greater New York area, flying the best cabin class helicopters in the industry today.”