Russia's Yandex.Taxi could launch helicopter flights

Russia's Yandex.Taxi could launch helicopter flights
Not content with taxis, Yandex.Taxi is considering adding helicopters to its hailing app / wiki
By bne IntelliNews May 31, 2019

Russia's Yandex.Taxi taxi aggregator is in early talks to add helicopter transportation option to its application, Kommersant daily reported on May 30 citing unnamed sources close to negotiations between the company, Moscow authorities, and Russian Helicopters subsidiary of state tech agency Rostec.

Yandex.Taxi, a fast-growing joint venture of Russia's most valuable digital company Yandex and Uber Technologies, would reportedly test the helicopter transportation option in Moscow, and could potentially expand it outside of the Garden Ring and the Moscow region.

"The [helicopter] service is not for the mass market, where aggregators bring the most value, but we see no harm if Yandex’ investments are minimal and business economics are attractive," BCS Global Markets commented on May 30.

Yandex.Taxi confirmed to Kommersant that there are discussions ongoing with Russian Helicopters and the Moscow government, saying that the target is to sign a memorandum of cooperation between the parties at the International Aviation and Space Salon in August.

Yandex has been active in transportation and mobility solutions, with a major merger of Yandex.Taxi service and Uber, cooperation deal on driverless technologies with South Korean car major Hyundai, as well as other services in carsharing and carpooling markets.

This month Yandex closed a major deal on installing its multi-media system Yandex.Avto in two million Ladas, the best-selling car models of domestic carmaker AvtoVaz, as well as Renault and Nissan models assembled in Russia.

 

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