Uber To Offer $200 Helicopter Rides To JFK Airport

NEW YORK — Uber is taking to the skies. The ride-hailing giant will start offering helicopter flights from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy Airport next month through a new service called Uber Copter.

Elite Uber users will be able to book the eight-minute flights, along with car rides on both ends, from the Lower Manhattan Heliport to the Queens airport starting July 9, the company says. Trips will generally cost $200 to $225 apiece, according to Uber.

The pricey service could get New Yorkers to JFK in just half an hour when the trip could take longer than an hour by car or at least 45 minutes by public transportation. The New York Times first reported on the plans Wednesday.

But it will only be available to Uber's "Platinum" and "Diamond" users, the two highest tiers of its rewards program. Those high-end travelers will be able to book flights up to five days in advance during the afternoon rush hours Monday through Friday, according to Uber.

The launch of the flights will come as the company works to develop Uber Elevate, an inititative to establish an "aerial ridesharing" program, and Uber Air, an on-demand flight service.

"We’ve built Uber Copter to provide us with insight and real-world experience as we continue to lay the foundation for Uber Air," Eric Allison, the head of Uber Elevate, said in a statement. "This is Uber’s first multi-modal option, integrating an 8-minute helicopter flight with an Uber trip on both ends with a single tap of a button."

The helicopters will be provided by Heliflite, a charter company based in Newark, New Jersey. The company boasts "executive cabin class" choppers with seating for up to nine passengers and two pilots on board, according to its website.

While HeliFlite touts a strong safety record, Uber Copter's takeoff will follow a pair of highly visible helicopter crashes in the waters off Manhattan in the last two years.

The city banned so-called doors-off helicopter flights after a crash in the East River killed five people in March 2018. Another helicopter crashed into the Hudson River last month after missing a landing pad; two people were injured in that incident.

Uber isn't the first to ferry New Yorkers to the airport by chopper. A company called Blade already offers $195 flights from Manhattan to JFK, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty Airport.