Uber makes a try on chopper hops as revolution continues

Uber has signed a deal with Corporate Helicopters in a move aimed at offering cheaper chopper services.  (PHOTO: KIPSANG JOSEPH/ STANDARD)

Uber, the American taxi service provider, has signed up a local helicopter firm as it hopes to expand beyond just cars.

The firm announced on social media platforms that it has entered a deal with Corporate Helicopters, to fly the first clients this weekend on a promotional 20-minute chopper hop.

 It would be the latest step by the firm that has caused major upsets in the local cab services market.

“We have partnered with Corporate Helicopters to make it happen,” Uber said yesterday, in the strongest hint about its plans to enable travellers hail choppers.

And in yet another pointer about longevity of the service, Uber said it would have even more opportunities in future.

“If you don’t get an UberCHOPPER, don’t worry. We’re working towards having more opportunities like this one,” the firm announced, in a call to its customers.

Uber’s announcement caused a thrill on social media platforms with users making hilarious comments about the proposed service.

Saleh Wanjala, the man who was captured clinging onto a flying chopper in Bungoma last May, was teased as an automatic candidate in becoming a conductor in the charter services.

The trial in Nairobi comes only two months after the firm introduced similar services in Brazil, where commuters were allowed to take a hop for a promotional fare of Sh6,300 ($63). 

Sao Paulo, a Brazilian city, was chosen for the piloting owing to its slow traffic situation that is comparable to Nairobi.

Uber’s experience in Kenya, Brazil and most other countries was also met with stiff resistance including scuffles between its signed-up drivers and those of conventional taxis.

But in most cases, it prevailed and caused a new approach in doing business. In Kenya, there are at least five taxi hailing applications that have been developed to counter Uber – which is running ahead on road and now, air.

French aircraft maker Airbus and Uber are in talks that are anticipated to end in the manufacture of an on-demand chopper. It is thought that payable fares on the intended aircraft would compare to the ordinary cabs.

“It is a pilot project, we will see where it goes, but it is pretty exciting,” Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders is quoted to have said in January after the two firms agreed to enter a partnership.

Locally, conventional cab operators under the Kenya Taxi Cab Association signed up on Taxify while Safaricom is backing another platform called Little Cabs.

Corporate Helicopters could be hoping to replicate the success of hailing mobile applications, which have been transformational, in attracting on-demand customers.

Corporate Helicopters is a brand Youth Aviation, a Nairobi-based helicopter charter services that has been aggressively marketing its relatively short trips including to the Kenyan Coast, the scenic Rift Valley and Mt Kenya.

The high cost of chartering a chopper in Kenya, estimated at Sh200,000 an hour, has pushed service providers to structure flights to be shared among travellers going to the same destinations.

Most customers who would typically charter helicopters are top-end businessmen and politicians, but the hiring rates could be too high and end up putting off many prospective customers.

Uber earns a fraction of the fare paid by customers, chalking up more than Sh200 billion between January and June. It does not invest in cars and choppers, in this case.