Many airlines and heli companies are already part of broad collaborative planning initiatives. For example, Blade Air Mobility is part of Urban Movement Labs’ advanced air mobility (AAM) partnership to integrate eVTOLs into the Los Angeles air transport network. Virgin Atlantic and Vertical Aerospace are among the members of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium in the U.K.

Meanwhile, some big players have already chosen eVTOL models and tentative routes. United Airlines plans to use Archer’s Midnight eVTOL, for instance, to transport passengers between Manhattan and Newark Liberty International Airport.

No decisions have yet been made at Blade about routes, but “given the range we anticipate for first-generation eVTOLs, we expect initial deployment to be on our existing short-distance routes, which typically span between 10 and 100 miles [16 to 160 kilometers] and are currently serviced by conventional helicopters or seaplanes,” said chief of staff Lee Gold.