Mayor Eric Adams showed off two huge drone-like choppers that he hailed as the future on Monday — as he announced plans to revamp the Big Apple’s main heliport so it can start start ferrying New Yorkers on electric flights.
Hizzoner watched on as the cutting-edge electric helicopters manufactured by Joby and Volocopter — including one with six different rotors — took off quietly from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in Lower Manhattan.
“Today, we are taking sustainability to the sky and our streets, and New Yorkers can feel the electricity in the air in our city as we electrify our heliport infrastructure,” the mayor said as he revealed the push to turn the pad electric.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is currently seeking an operator to fit out the city-owned heliport with the infrastructure required to host the electric choppers — including installing charge cube stations for the helicopters to power up between flights.
“Our vision for the Downtown Manhattan Heliport will create the world’s first heliport with infrastructure for electric-powered aircraft and put this public asset to work for New Yorkers as a hub for sustainable transportation and local deliveries,” Adams said.
“We will not only put New York City at the cutting edge of sustainable flight technology while addressing a persistent quality-of-life issue with helicopter noise, but also get trucks off the road and make our streets safer.”
Details on who would foot the bill to upgrade the city-run heliport located at the East River Piers were not revealed, but a source said it would be picked up by the operator who is chosen.
As part of the proposal request process, the city is requiring the future heliport operator to start readying its infrastructure in advance of the Federal Aviation Administration granting approval, which officials say is anticipated as early as 2025.
NYCEDC CEO Andrew Kimball expects commercial flights to start shortly after the FAA certification is granted, adding that the technology is more-or-less ready to deploy as soon as heliports can accommodate the cutting edge choppers.
New Yorkers could be flying across the East River in one of the electric helicopters in as little as two or three years, Kimball predicted.
“If you needed to get to JFK or LaGuardia or Newark, you hop on one of these things and get there in 10 minutes instead of an hour,” he said.
The electric helicopters showcased are designed to sound like typical city noise, rather than the sound traditional choppers make, according to Joby — one of the manufacturers.
The newfangled choppers cost roughly as much as lower-end regular helicopters, the company added.