But those aircraft are still a few years away from entering service. In the meantime, Blade is focused on the here and now. Last month the company released financials for the first quarter of 2023 that reflected solid growth in its medical transport services and a potential runway for growth in chartered, passenger-carrying helicopter services. "We are making exceptional progress on all fronts, resulting in our seventh consecutive quarter with financial results ahead of our expectations," Blade CEO Rob Wiesenthal said in a statement.
Blade's total first-quarter revenue was US$45.3 million. That is an increase of 70 percent year over year attributable mostly to its MediMobility Organ Transplant service, which received a massive boost after the firm's 2021 acquisition of Trinity Air Medical. The company's medical segment brought in $26.8 million for the quarter, rising 111 percent annually and 24 percent over the previous quarter. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), meanwhile, rose from just less than US$1 million last year to around US$1.9 million this quarter. It attributed those gains to new hospital wins, growth with existing clients and market factors. Specifically, Blade sees tailwinds from organ preservation technology, which will increase the number of organs available for transplant and the distance they can travel and, by extension, Blade's revenue per mission. "We continue to demonstrate our unique value proposition in medical through the addition of new customers, while supporting added volume and transport distances amongst our existing customer base," Wiesenthal said.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Future Flight.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Sustainability and connectivity: top of the agenda for private jet industry
The executive aviation industry is currently facing a paradox. On the one hand, demand for private flying remains strong, propelled by the rise in the number of high-net-worth individuals around the globe. While on the other hand, the industry is increasingly being questioned by the public, the media, and politicians over its environmental credentials.
NASA, ESA join forces to land European Rover on Mars
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Non-CO2 emissions measured in commercial aircraft 100% SAF test
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Joby partners with Mukamalah Aviation
Last month Joby Aviation announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mukamalah, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, the operator of the world's largest fleet of corporate aircraft, to introduce Joby's aircraft to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Joby acquires autonomous flight developer Xwing
Joby Aviation is one of many electric vertical take-off and landinng (eVTOL) air tax manufacturers that predicts autonomy will be the driver of ubiquitity for advanced air mobility (AAM) services and the company is placing its money where its mouth is.