Uber, Grab set to offer helicopter service

MANILA, Philippines - Transportation network companies Uber and Grab are taking their rivalry to a higher level after the firms hinted on their plans to provide helicopter service in the country.

In an announcement yesterday, Uber said it has teamed-up with a local air travel service provider for a free 10-minute aerial tour of Manila on Saturday through UberChopper.

“Airtrav Inc. is a local company that owns and operates air charter services in the Philippines,” said Uber.

“True to its commitment of safety, comfort and convenience, Airtrav’s pilots undergo training in Torrance, California, making its flight crew one of the best in the country,” it added.

Meanwhile, Grab posted in the Internet a photo containing the text “awesome weekends up in the air” accompanied by a silhouette of a helicopter.

“Grab with a view every weekend starting Nov. 24,” added the company, using the hashtag #GrabHeli.

Both companies have yet to announce if it will formally include a helicopter rental feature in its services in the country in the future.

UberChopper was previously offered as a special feature in other cities, such as in New York and Los Angeles in the United States, Melbourne in Australia, Cape Town in South Africa, and Hong Kong.

Also yesterday, Uber Technologies senior adviser David Plouffe spoke at the CEO Summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Makati City.

Plouffe lauded the Philippine government for crafting regulations that institutionalize mobile-based transport services such as Uber as a form of public transportation in the Philippines.

The Department of Transportation and Communications and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board issued guidelines on the operation of the said services.