Blade, the company best known for helicopter transfers between Manhattan and New York airports, is bringing back its semi-private jet service. BladeOne resumes flying on 19 November, linking Westchester County Airport (HPN) north of New York City with two South Florida airports: Miami-Opa Locka Executive (OPF) and what is now officially President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT) — the former Palm Beach International (PBI). The seasonal route runs through 2 May 2027.
The service first launched in 2015 but was shelved in May 2024. This time, the flying is handled by Aero, a Los Angeles-based private jet airline that uses private terminals, known as FBOs, rather than crowded main terminals. That is the practical appeal: arrivals around 20 minutes before departure, a lounge-style setting, and a boarding process closer to a private charter than a commercial flight.
BladeOne goes head-to-head with JSX, the larger semi-private carrier that already flies the same Westchester-to-South Florida pair. There are real differences worth weighing. Aero operates the Embraer E135 with just 16 seats in a 1-1 layout, versus the 30 seats (2-1 or 1-1) JSX squeezes into its E135s and E145s — so every Blade passenger gets a window and an aisle. Blade also bundles helicopter transfers between Manhattan and Westchester into the booking flow, handy if you're coming from the city, New Jersey or Long Island rather than the suburbs.
JSX counters with United MileagePlus earning on every flight, something Blade can't match — it has no loyalty program, though Bilt Cash can be used to book. Onboard, the two look similar: Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi, amenity kits and food and drink from Blade's partner brands on every flight.
Blade's CEO Rob Wiesenthal positions the product as filling the gap between a $1,000 first-class fare and a $25,000 private jet charter. That framing sums up who this is for: travellers who want the private-terminal, no-lines experience without charter money, particularly the large cohort of New Yorkers who now split their time between the Northeast and South Florida each winter.
If you regularly fly the New York–Miami or New York–Palm Beach corridor, a second operator on the route is genuinely good news — JSX no longer has the semi-private market to itself, and comparisons on price and schedule should get easier.
