(Reuters) – Helicopter-taxi firm Blade Air Mobility, which ferries people to luxury destinations such as The Hamptons, on Thursday mandated that starting next month its passengers be inoculated against COVID-19.
Eligible passengers should be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to their flight, with some exceptions such as departures from Florida, the company said.
Blade, which charges about $795 per seat for a one-way helicopter ride from New York to The Hamptons, added that it may refuse service to any passenger who does not provide a proof of vaccination. The company also operates flights between New York and Manhattan heliports.
The New York-based company was among a raft of transportation firms, which went public through a merger with a blank-check firm. The company was valued at a pro-forma equity value of $825 million at closing. (https://bwnews.pr/3iDFogD)
U.S. airlines have not mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for passengers as yet, but last week, United Airlines Inc became the first U.S. airline to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all domestic employees.
(Reporting by Shreyasee Raj and Abhijith Ganapavaram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
