Air-taxi company Blade mandates COVID-19 shots for passengers

Helicopter-taxi firm Blade Air Mobility, which ferries people to luxury destinations such as The Hamptons, on Thursday mandated that starting next month its passengers be inoculated against COVID-19. Eligible passengers should be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to their flight, with some exceptions such as departures from Florida, the company said. Blade, which charges about $795 per seat for a one-way helicopter ride from New York to The Hamptons, added that it may refuse service to any passenger who does not provide a proof of vaccination. The company also operates flights between New York and Manhattan heliports. The New York-based company was among a raft of transportation firms, which went public through a merger with a blank-check firm. The company was valued at a pro-forma equity value of $825m at closing. <br/>