UberChopper gets ready for lift-off

by Jak Phillips | 28 Jan 2016

Uber is quite literally propelling itself into new transportation markets with the advent of its new helicopter service, UberChopper.

Eager to expand into forms of transport beyond its usual car service, Uber has been experimenting with helicopters, boats and even rickshaws in recent years.

UberChopper has been offered at several high-profile leisure events in the last six months, including the Cannes Film Festival and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, as well as the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.

In Abu Dhabi, Uber teamed up with helicopter operator Alpha Tours for the Grand Prix weekend, offering racegoers a novel form of transport from their hotel to the race track for AED2250 (US$613, €560, £425) per person.

While still in its infancy as a service and unlikely to become a common feature of Uber for some time yet, the service has already been hailed by some as a novel (albeit upmarket) transport solution for some of the world’s most gridlocked cities.

And with the service closely linked to travel and leisure events, the impending arrival of UberChopper gives high-end leisure venue operators, architects and designers some serious food-for-thought in terms of future-proofing their transport infrastructure.

While currently still a ‘pilot project’, it’s a fair bet to say many leisure destinations will soon be looking to the skies for the arrival of their most-valued customers.