Blade Air Mobility reported a net loss of slightly less than $2 million in the third quarter despite achieving improvements in both its passenger and medical flight operations. Revenues at the U.S. group grew by 4.8%, to $74.9 million, in the quarter, while operating cash flow increased by $4.3 million, to $6.4 million.
During the quarter, Blade announced a partnership to improve access to OrganOx’s metra device for preserving livers as they are transported to transplant centers. It also acquired two more aircraft during the period, and these are set to enter service in 2025.
“We reached an important milestone this quarter in our passenger business, achieving positive segmented EBITDA on a trailing twelve-month basis, more than a year ahead of our investor guidance to turn profitable by the end of 2025,” said Blade CEO Rob Wiesenthal. “Beyond the strength in underlying customer demand, several factors contributed to the faster path to profitability including actions we’ve taken to exit unprofitable business lines rapidly, early benefits from the recent restructuring of our European operations, and implementation of segment-wide cost savings.”
According to Blade, revenues increased by 9.8% on what it defines as short-distance flights in the U.S., once discontinued Canadian operations were factored in. It saw increased demand for leisure trips in the Northeast U.S. and for access to New York City airports.