Blade Enters into Alliance with magniX for the Electrification of Lima’s Amphibious Seaplanes for Urban Air Mobility Flights on Key Blade Routes
Blade Urban Air Mobility has announced a strategic alliance with magniX to supply Electric Propulsion Units for Lima NY Corp’s fleet of amphibious Cessna Caravans. This partnership aims to convert the fleet to all-electric, starting in early 2023, targeting emission-free operations at competitive speeds. Lima will hold exclusive rights in the Northeast U.S. for the supplemental type certificate required for this conversion. Blade's President emphasized the importance of electrification for urban air mobility, aligning with ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impact and operating costs.
- Alliance with magniX expected to enhance Blade's fleet with all-electric aircraft.
- Reduction in operating costs and noise pollution due to electric propulsion.
- Exclusive rights for Lima to convert the aircraft, strengthening partnerships.
- The alliance is contingent upon Federal Aviation Administration approval, introducing regulatory uncertainty.
- Potential risks related to the execution of definitive agreements and satisfaction of conditions.
Blade Urban Air Mobility, Inc. (“Blade” or the “Company”), a technology-powered urban air mobility platform, today announced an alliance whereby magniX USA Inc. (“magniX”), a leading manufacturer in electric aviation, will supply its Electric Propulsion Units (“EPU”) to Lima NY Corp. (“Lima”), one of Blade’s largest aircraft operating partners, for the conversion of Lima’s Blade-branded fleet of amphibious Cessna Caravans to all-electric aircraft starting in early 2023, subject to certain conditions.
Blade is the exclusive platform for Lima flights offered to the public. Key routes include flights between the Blade Aqua Lounge at the East 23rd Street seaplane base in New York City, the eastern end of Long Island, New York, and the Blade Terminal in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Based on current estimates, the all-electric Caravans will operate emission-free at the same speed as the current generation turbine Caravans, with a significantly reduced noise footprint and lower operating costs.
As part of the alliance, Lima will be the exclusive owner in the northeast United States of the supplemental type certificate (“STC”) for the conversion of the Caravan’s current generation turbine engine to the magniX EPU.
Blade President Melissa Tomkiel said, “Amphibious seaplane service has always been an essential part of our urban air mobility strategy, given the aircraft’s unique ability to access city centers through conveniently located waterways, such as Manhattan’s East River, as well as traditional airports. The electrification of our accessible fleet of Blade-branded aircraft, made possible through our alliance with magniX and Lima, one of our key operating partners, will further accelerate our transition to quiet, emission-free flight, allowing us to reduce the environmental and sound impact in and around the communities where we fly.”
“Partnering with Blade and Lima to bring electric aviation to one of the largest cities, and highly populated regions in the United States, is an incredible proof point to the value of offering communities zero emissions, reduced noise, and lower operating costs,” said magniX CEO Roei Ganzarski. “With electric propulsion as our cornerstone, magniX continues to build toward the new electric age of aviation.”
Blade’s alliance with magniX and Lima comes on the heels of a recent agreement for Blade to secure up to 20 BETA Technologies’ ALIA Electric Vertical Aircraft (“EVA”) on behalf of Blade’s network of operators with scheduled delivery beginning in late 2024, and arrangements for Wisk Aero LLC, a joint venture between Boeing and Larry Page-backed Kitty Hawk, to own, operate and maintain up to 30 EVA for exclusive use across Blade’s U.S. route network.
The alliance among Blade, magniX, and Lima described in this press release is subject to the Federal Aviation Administration’s anticipated approval of the STC and the parties entering into further agreements.
About Blade
Blade is a technology-powered urban air mobility platform committed to reducing travel friction by providing cost-effective air transportation alternatives to some of the most congested ground routes in the U.S. and abroad. Today, Blade predominantly uses helicopters and amphibious aircraft. Its asset-light model, coupled with its exclusive passenger terminal infrastructure, is designed to facilitate a seamless transition to Electric Vertical Aircraft (“EVA” or “eVTOL”), enabling lower cost air mobility to the public that is both quiet and emission-free.
For more information, visit https://ir.blade.com/.
About magniX
Headquartered in Everett, WA, magniX is on a mission to lead the commercial aerospace and defense industries by providing high performance, reliable and environmentally friendly propulsion solutions. Developed with proprietary technology, magniX offers a range of revolutionary electric propulsion solutions, including motors and power electronics, which produce zero emissions at lower operating costs. For more information, please visit: www.magnix.aero.
About Lima
Lima NY Corp. d/b/a Fly The Whale is a US Part 135 Scheduled Air Carrier founded in 2008. Lima operates state of the art Cessna Caravan C208EX Amphibians, wheeled Cessna Caravan C208EXs, and Sikorsky S76C++ helicopters from bases in Farmingdale, NY, and New Haven, CT. In New Haven, Lima has built a first-class seaplane facility to provide a home for the largest seaplane fleet in the Northeast supported by a highly experienced team of pilots, mechanics, and support personnel. Lima is one of the very few air carriers to offer all three modes of air transportation: traditional land, sea, and vertical lift.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “continue”, “expect”, “estimate”, “may”, “plan”, “outlook”, “future” and “project” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside Blade’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the alliance among Blade, magniX, and Lima described in this press release, as well as the failure by the parties to execute definitive agreements with respect to the alliance; (2) the failure of any party to satisfy relevant terms and conditions; (3) the inability to meet contemplated specifications or achieve anticipated cost savings; (4) changes in applicable laws or regulations and delays in obtaining, adverse conditions contained in, or the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals required to complete the transactions; (5) the possibility that Blade may be adversely affected by other economic, business, regulatory and/or competitive factors; and (6) the impact of COVID-19 on Blade’s business and/or the ability of the parties to complete the transactions.
New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for Blade to predict these events or how they may affect Blade or the transactions described in this press release. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, and Blade undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, changes in expectations, future events or otherwise.
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