Canada-based Helijet International today inked an agreement under which global air mobility platform Blade will have exclusive rights for booking its scheduled helicopter flights. Helijet will continue to operate these flights. While Blade is not acquiring any shares or ownership in Helijet under the agreement, it will have the right to acquire up to 49 percent of Helijet‘s wholly-owned subsidiary, Pacific Heliport Services, which manages and operates heliport waterfront terminals in Vancouver, Victoria, and Nanaimo.
This deal is part of a new operating partnership aimed at introducing additional routes and delivering the first commercially available electric vertical aircraft to the British Columbia market. Helijet and Blade said they are combining their expertise and investment efforts to accelerate the introduction and commercialization of newer, more sustainable, and cost-effective electric vertical aircraft into communities served by Blade and Helijet, as well as potential new routes in the Pacific Northwest.
“Electric vertical aircraft technologies are going to change aviation in the same way that the jet engine revolutionized air travel 60 years ago. [They] will make urban air mobility more efficient, more sustainable, and more affordable,” said Helijet president Danny Sitnam. “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.”