Uber extends helicopter service in UAE after F1 success

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Uber extends helicopter service in UAE after F1 success Chopper charters in the UAE are soaring high above most other markets, the boss of a global transportation network company has said. American firm Uber – inventors of a mobile app that uses your smartphone’s GPS to detect your location and connects you with the nearest available Uber driver – says the launch of its helicopter service in the UAE has been “one of [their] most successful globally”. UberCHOPPER coordinates with independent operators and provides smooth scheduling and billing, as well as connecting car services, making it possible for uses to summon a helicopter to the nearest helipad. The app-based service made its debut during the Formula One this year. Jambu Palaniappan, regional general manager Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, told 7DAYS: “It [the response] was super positive. Every trip that we offered [to the F1] was occupied. We’ve done this in a few cities, this [the UAE] is by far one of our most successful.” In fact, the success of the service has led Uber to extend its offering. Calling the UAE a “good chopper market”, Palaniappan said: “We are now running UberCHOPPER for a few [more] months. It’s a great demand generator for licensed companies that have helicopters.” Flights will be available from 10am to 4.20pm and will cost Dhs650 per person or Dhs3,180 for a group of six. The exec added that the region “is becoming a really strategically important market” for Uber. He said: “A couple of weeks ago we made a commitment to invest $250 million in the Middle East and North Africa. We see a tremendous amount of growth potential in the region – that’s particularly true in the UAE, but also in places like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Morocco and Lebanon. We’ll also be launching in Pakistan soon.” megha@7days.ae Read the original story at: Uber extends helicopter service in UAE after F1 success