Need to get from Manhattan to either the JFK or Newark Liberty airports in a hurry? Sure a cab might be an option, but it’s not necessarily quick, especially with the potential nightmare of rush hour traffic. An alternative is just flying to your flight in as little as six minutes with a new aerial ridesharing company, called Gotham Air.
Somewhat like Uber, the service lets people book a helicopter flight online less than an hour in advance, though the chopper doesn’t pick users up like an automotive ridesharing service. Customers still have to get to the helipad in downtown Manhattan, and at the moment, the company only travels to the two airports.
The price for this convenience is $219 per person, but Gotham Air is offering a few one-time, introductory flights for just $99 to get people hooked. The company offers scheduled flights between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., but according to Gizmodo, the choppers could run even longer in the future.
If no one else signs up for the whirlybird, users don’t get a private chopper to the airport, though. For a flight to be confirmed, at least four people have to reserve a spot. However, users can see whether a helicopter is taking off from the app and website. According to Gizmodo, the company is aiming for at least one flight to leave every hour.