Time is money. Imagine if you could travel from Manhattan to JFK or Newark Liberty Airports in six minutes instead of two hours of stop and go traffic. Today marks the launch of Gotham Air, a premiere daily crowdsourced helicopter service that will revolutionize how you commute. To celebrate the launch, first time riders can book a $99 flat rate flight by simply selecting a departure from one of three Manhattan heliports. Flights can be booked by logging onto www.GothamAir.com or downloading the free GothamAir app at the Apple iTunes Store in early February 2015.

“We make getting to the airport fast, luxurious and exciting and have created an enjoyable experience that people can look forward to,” said Gotham Air President, Colleen Cowan. “Our fast and smooth Bell 407 choppers are the sports car of helicopters with speeds of up to 160mph with first class seating allowing customers to take in breathtaking views of the city.”

“This changes everything about travel,” says Gotham Air CEO Tim Hayes.  “Our customers can go from sitting in a car to relaxing in one of our luxe choppers within minutes.  We plan to bring a new level of luxury and convenience to people’s lives.”

Gotham Air features include:

1) Flights available seven days a week
2) First time users pay $99 to JFK or EWR; after the first ride, a one way fare is $199 – $219 dependent on departure time
3) Complimentary hors d’oeuvres provided by world renowned Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery
4) Beverage services available for afternoon flights
5) Luxury helicopter interiors feature Hermes leather furnishings
6) VIP lounges and ground support concierge services
7) Inclement weather guarantee backed by Tesla; Gotham Air will pick up guests at their home or office in Manhattan and whisk them to the airport in a sleek Tesla S on rare occasions when the winds are too high or the cloud cover is too low

Gotham Air has formed an alliance with Helicopter Flight Services, one of the largest, most trusted names in luxury aviation for the past thirty years. Gotham Air’s digital service platform is integrated with Helicopter Flight Services’ fleet of state of the art helicopters including seven Bell 407’s, one Sikorsky S76 C+ and one Bell 427.

Crowd sourced flight reservations will begin today and regularly scheduled flights will roll out by spring 2015. For more information, please visit www.GothamAir.com.

Tim Hayes, CEO of Gotham Air:

Tim Hayes is an award winning music, concert and television producer. After running marketing for Alpine Valley, the largest concert amphitheater in the country, he moved to New York in 1992 to work at Premier Talent with Frank Barsalona. Hayes’ experience in concierge and private air travel began at Premier where he worked on tour routing for bands including U2, Van Halen, Bon Jovi and the Ramones. Tim later transitioned his career into television where he spent several years at Good Morning America before opening an independent studio that quickly became the New York broadcast home to Entertainment Tonight and The Insider. Hayes recently returned to the travel industry after paying $2,000 just to go to the airport with his friend’s one too many times. Tim realized there must be a more affordable and efficient alternative, thus Gotham Air was born.

Colleen Cowan, President of Gotham Air:

Colleen Cowan is a travel industry veteran with over twenty years of experience. While working in management at Liberty/GOGO, the largest travel wholesaler in the country, she worked on some of their largest accounts including Disney, Universal, Florida and Bermuda properties. Jumping to new technology, Cowan helped grow a young Travelocity into the largest online travel site in the world.  She focused on partner relationship management specializing in the Caribbean where she further developed meaningful programs in the luxury market with destinations like Anguilla and the Bahamas. While focusing on Washington DC, Boston and northeastern, she gained a unique understanding of travel operations in markets where Gotham Air is poised to grow.