Voom, the on-demand helicopter service that Airbus launched in Sao Paulo last April as part of its A^3 incubator program, is now officially part of Airbus Helicopters, the company announced on Tuesday. Voom has flown thousands of passengers, and the company plans to expand its operations this year. “Urban transportation on and below ground is reaching its limits, and naturally Airbus is looking to the skies to redefine a third axis for public transportation solutions,” said MatthieuLouvot, a vice president with Airbus Helicopters. “Voomwill allow us to grow the usage of existing helicopters for the benefit of urban citizens and operators.”
The Voomplatform connects travelers with licensed helicopter operator partners, providing air-taxi flights from crowded urban cores to outlying airports.Voomair taxi flights can be booked online as little as 60 minutes in advance, and travelers can arrive at the heliport just 15 minutes before their boarding time. Voom CEO Uma Subramanian said the company is “thrilled” to join Airbus Helicopters. “Our services provide convenient, reliable and affordable air transit to urban areas that so desperately need an alternative to traditional ground transportation,” she said. The service will soon expand into more cities, starting with Mexico City early this year, Subramanian said.
