Joby Aviation announced on August 29, 2025, that it had completed its acquisition of Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business for up to $125 million. Blade is now a subsidiary of Joby, with founder Rob Wiesenthal remaining in charge. Flights to the Hamptons during the summer of 2026 were still operated using traditional aircraft, like the Bell 407 helicopters and seaplanes, and not electric aircraft. The wait continues for the FAA’s approval of electric aircraft for Blade’s future operations.
Blade flights to the Hamptons started on May 21, 2026, and ended on September 8, 2026. They served Manhattan and Westhampton, Southampton, Sag Harbor, East Hampton, and Montauk. With a Hamptons Summer Pass, it was $795 for a seat, while a Limitless Pass cost $25,000, offering a flight each way on any day you chose, including airport flights and no blackout dates. There was also the Montauk Sky Pass, $695, with seaplane flights to Montauk at $495 each. The seaplanes were amphibious Grand Caravans.
Joby said Blade flights would continue as normal, with customers gradually switching from helicopters to Joby’s electric aircraft. Blade and Aero, a jet airline, ran seat-by-seat flights from Los Angeles to East Hampton during the summer of 2026. As of August 2026, a seat on a helicopter flight from Manhattan to JFK cost $195.
A Hard Business to Turn into Good Money
Flying Manhattan to the Hamptons is a status symbol, but it’s a hard business to turn into good money. Demand is steady, though. Even so, operators don’t make much money. Blade had to restructure. It leaned more on things like flying organs and charters on private jets to fill gaps. The biggest limit, Wiesenthal said, is the lack of space to land. Noise complaints mean helicopters can’t land wherever they please. They’re limited to international airports and three heliports in Manhattan, plus the Hamptons.
eVTOL Aircraft
Joby acquired Blade’s passenger business in order to use its network of customers to plug in its eVTOLs. JoeBen Bevirt started Joby in 2009 with the aim of building eVTOLs, aircraft that take off and land vertically like a helicopter. Joby says its aircraft are up to 100 times quieter than helicopters. This could open up new landing spots in cities and suburbs. Wiesenthal noted that landing zones would open up if the eVTOL aircraft prove to be quieter and produce zero emissions. More landing zones would mean cheaper trips. Electric-powered vehicles have fewer moving parts and thus less maintenance, a major cost driver. Landing fees might also be lower, more cities might give permission for aircraft to land, and fewer curfews might exist.
Joby’s aircraft aren’t in service yet. As of August 2026, Joby was still waiting on FAA certification for the one-pilot, four-passenger aircraft. Joby doesn’t offer a firm timeline on when it will launch. Part of that is the unpredictability of the certification process.
Wiesenthal said in 2025 that he wouldn’t predict a Hamptons timeline for the Joby aircraft. There would be a “cohabitation phase” where the helicopters are still in service while Joby scales its production. Blade serves roughly 100,000 passengers each year, according to Wiesenthal. Joby was picked for early operations in up to 11 states through a White House-backed program that could speed things up. The plane has over 50,000 miles of test and demo flights under its belt, including some in April at Port Authority airports that started and ended at JFK. It’s worth noting that pricing isn’t final yet - CEO Wiesenthal expects the pricing to match helicopter fares at first, then become more affordable.
Not everything went to Joby: Blade’s medical arm (organ transport, surgeon travel) wasn’t sold and now is a separate company, Strata Critical Medical, and Blade still supplies its helicopters to the new firm. The medical side brought in more than $45.1 million, over 60 percent of Blade’s revenue, in its last report before the deal, versus $25.7 million in passenger flights. As of March 2026, Uber and Joby still called Blade helicopters as a link in the Uber app a 2026 plan, not live. And Joby also plans a Delta tie-up. Blade is also bringing back its BLADEone jet service connecting Westchester (HPN) and either Palm Beach or Miami-Opa Locka, for the fall/winter season from November 19, 2026, until May 2, 2027.
You’re not here for economy. You’re here to buy time, since it’s scarce. The helicopter way gets you to the Hamptons in 40 minutes. Meanwhile, a car trip down the LIE without traffic is at least three hours. And demand is spreading past leisure routes to big events. A global helicopter booking platform hoper planned private and shared New York flights in September, timed to the U.S. Open. Demitris Memos, hoper’s CEO, sees traffic, road closures, congestion, and tight schedules. hoper is also preparing for eVTOLs.
Wiesenthal likes to say his industry “creates time that didn’t exist.” You only get 24 hours in a day. For now, that still means helicopters and seaplanes. But as for when electric planes will pick you up in Manhattan and take you to somewhere like Southampton? The date hasn’t been booked yet.
