NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blade Air Mobility, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLDE, “Blade” or the “Company”), a technology-powered global air mobility platform, today announced the creation of Blade Europe and the appointment of Sabrina Barbera as Executive Director of Blade Europe and Anne-Pascale Guedon as Executive Vice President, Business Development, Blade Europe. Blade Europe will be headquartered in Paris, France.
Barbera has nearly 20 years of experience in aerospace and aviation and is currently a Vice-President at Airbus Helicopters overseeing their Simulation and Training department that trains over 8,000 pilots and technicians each year. Prior to this position, she was Vice-President and Head of Company Development for Airbus Helicopters where she consummated 45 acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic alliances for the company including Airbus Helicopters' investment in Blade in 2018.
Guedon will serve as Executive Vice President, Business Development, Blade Europe. With 20 years of international experience as a former investment banker, and for the last 12 years with Airbus, she was most recently Vice-President, International Business Development reporting to Airbus' Group Executive Committee. In that role, she invested and oversaw deployment of corporate funds in more than 30 countries focusing on business diversification, disruptive technologies and low-carbon projects for both rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft.
Both appointments are effective June 1st, 2022.
Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of Blade Air Mobility said, "I have known Sabrina since she spearheaded Airbus' investment in Blade. Her creativity and exceptional drive, as well as her knowledge of the transition path from helicopters to Electric Vertical Aircraft in urban air mobility, make her uniquely suited to fulfill this important role."
Mr. Wiesenthal added, "Anne-Pascale has been a leading voice to help accelerate urban air mobility initiatives throughout Europe. Beyond her tenure at Airbus, she advised aerospace industry leaders including laureates of the Paris General Counsel, the Groupe ADP, the owner and manager of Parisian international airports as well as RATP Alliance, the world’s fourth largest transport operator. Her knowledge of the regulatory landscape, as well as her long-standing European government relationships, will undoubtedly supercharge Blade’s expansion throughout Europe."
Barbera said, "The scale and global strength of Airbus Helicopters has enabled me to appreciate the significant growth opportunity in urban air mobility. This coupled with my work with Rob and Blade's senior management team on Airbus' investment in Blade crystalized for me the sizable addressable market Blade has in Europe. This is a new phase of my career that I am both excited and well prepared for."
Guedon said, “My experience at Airbus Group in helicopters, drones, and fixed-wing aircraft has enabled me to play an important role in the development of urban air mobility and the forthcoming transition to Electric Vertical Aircraft. I have been consulting with Blade in Europe for over a year and I am very excited to show the key constituents of the European urban air mobility ecosystem the unique capabilities Blade can bring to bear across the continent with its strong brand, proven asset-light model, and access to capital. The time is right.”
About Blade
Blade is a technology-powered, global air mobility platform committed to reducing travel friction by providing cost-effective air transportation alternatives to some of the most congested ground routes in the U.S. and abroad. Today, the Company predominantly uses helicopters and amphibious aircraft for its passenger routes and is also one of the largest air medical transporters of human organs for transplant in the world. Its asset-light model, coupled with its exclusive passenger terminal infrastructure, is designed to facilitate a seamless transition to EVA, enabling lower cost air mobility to the public that is both quiet and emission-free.
For more information, visit ir.blade.com.
Forward Looking Statements
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