Market Roundup: ‘Uber for helicopters’ flying in São Paulo

Commuting by helicopter in the chopper capital

Since the beginning of August, anyone with thousands of reais to spare and a mobile app can book their seat on a helicopter to navigate the chaotic Brazilian city of São Paulo. Revo, a company of the Portuguese group Omni Helicopters International (OHI), has started offering this service, which is aimed at people who need to get around Latin America’s biggest city fast, but do not want to charter an entire helicopter.

State of play. The new service is described as a “digital door-to-door mobility platform,” that combines both ground and air transportation. Revo offers options for booking single trips, multiple seats, or full aircraft capacity.

Why it matters. São Paulo has the largest helicopter fleet in the world, with 410 aircraft and 260 helipads. Brazil as a whole has a total of 2,000 helicopters and 427 helipads. There are 2,200 flights a day, or about one landing every 45 seconds. 

• It is the only city in the world that has an exclusive air traffic control team for helicopters.

Prices and timetable. A seat on Revo’s aircraft costs between BRL 3,500 and BRL 5,000 (USD 704 to USD 1,005). These prices include concierge services, chauffeured ground transportation, and baggage handling. In contrast, renting an entire helicopter can cost around BRL 37,000. 

• Initially, the company will operate 40 weekly flights: 30...