Cars are so 2015.
Uber is said to be partnering with Airbus, a European aircraft company, on a test program to provide helicopter rides on demand through its application just as it currently does with car rides.
“It's a pilot project, we’ll see where it goes—but it’s pretty exciting,” Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus, told The Wall Street Journal at an event on Sunday.
For Uber, helicopters could prove to be a big ticket item that expands its reach beyond taxi rides and helps justify its lofty $62.5 billion valuation. Uber has also experimented with offering boats and smart routes that mimic bus lines as well as on-demand food and package deliveries, all to fuel rapid growth.
Renting helicopters via @Uber and @Airbus might soon be possible according to #TomEnders @DLDConference #DLD16 pic.twitter.com/V98wmDEqox— Ulrike Böhm (@Ulrike_Boehm) January 17, 2016
Oh good. Uber X was way too slow. #Uberhelicopters https://t.co/fCoZYAa5D1— Brian Kim (@BUBrianKim) January 17, 2016
An Uber spokesperson confirmed the partnership and said the trial run would take place at the Sundance Film Festival later this month. Prices and broader rollout plans were not revealed.
Airbus did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
Uber has dabbled with helicopters in the past, offering one-off rides as promotional stunts at Cannes Film Festival, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and more. UberChopper rides have cost as much as $400 per person.
If Uber does dive in to the on-demand helicopter market (yes, that phrase makes us cringe too), it won't be alone. Blade, a startup that has raised $6 million from backers like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is working on a similar service in the U.S.