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For nearly a decade, Blade Air Mobility was one of the most recognizable names in urban air travel. From helicopter rides between Manhattan and JFK to luxury getaways in the Hamptons, Blade built a sleek, Uber-like experience for short-distance flying. Its terminals, lounges, and app-based booking platform made the idea of flying as simple as calling a ride.
But behind the brand and buzz, profitability was a different story.
While Blade’s passenger division was flashy, its medical segment was doing the heavy lifting. The company’s organ transport unit, which flies time-sensitive deliveries for hospitals and transplant centers, quietly became the backbone of its business.
In 2024, Blade’s MediMobility division brought in the majority of the company’s profits despite generating less revenue than the passenger segment. It had high margins, stable growth, and long-term contracts with hospital networks. In contrast, the consumer air taxi business remained volatile and margin-thin.
That’s when Blade made the call: exit the passenger side of urban air mobility, and go all in on what’s working.
But behind the polished experience, the passenger business was barely profitable.
By comparison, Blade’s MediMobility organ transport division quietly became the engine of the business.
In other words, while passenger flights generated buzz, it was organ transport that paid the bills.
On August 4, 2025, Blade announced it was selling its entire passenger business to Joby Aviation (JOBY) for up to $125 million. The deal includes:
Following the sale, Blade will rebrand as “Strata Critical Medical” and trade as a new public company focused entirely on organ and critical medical transport.
Joby’s been building futuristic electric aircraft for years. Their eVTOLs are designed to fly quietly, take off vertically, and reduce urban congestion. But while Joby had the technology, it didn’t have the operational footprint to launch at scale.
This acquisition changes that overnight.
With Blade’s assets, Joby instantly gains:
In short, Joby just fast-tracked its entire go-to-market strategy. And instead of starting from scratch, it now steps into a fully built urban air mobility network—ready to be electrified.
Despite the split, Blade and Joby aren’t completely parting ways. As part of the deal, Strata will use Joby’s eVTOL aircraft for organ deliveries in the future, once those vehicles are FAA-certified. This gives Strata access to state-of-the-art aviation technology without having to develop or maintain a fleet.
It also gives Joby a second revenue stream—servicing the critical medical transport industry.
This isn’t a failure for Blade—it’s a calculated shift.
By selling its unprofitable division and leaning into medical logistics, Blade is moving toward a more stable, high-margin business. Meanwhile, Joby gets everything it needs to dominate the commercial air taxi space—brand, infrastructure, customers, and scale.
For the broader industry, this deal represents a key turning point: the consolidation of infrastructure and technology needed to make urban air mobility real.
Want to see what Joby’s electric air taxis look like in action?
Check out their recent launch video from Dubai, where the future of flying cars is already in motion.
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