The São Paulo sky is not the same anymore. Since August 2023, modern Airbus helicopters from Revo have been crossing the Brazilian city offering passengers a fast, reliable, and safe transport option that saves them hours usually wasted in stressful traffic jams. One year later, Revo reaches its first anniversary celebrating a pace of growth that exceeded the company’s expectations and prepares it for even higher flights.
"This first year has been an absolute success," summarises Revo’s CEO Joāo Welsh, highlighting how the company evolved to better meet the market needs. "It has been a year of learning, and that is exactly what we wanted. Revo has evolved a lot."
The service offered by the company is unique in Brazil. By purchasing a seat in a Revo helicopter, the passenger flies from the centre of São Paulo to the international Guarulhos airport in up to 8 minutes. With an initial cost of BRL 2,500 (around USD 450), the ticket also includes terrestrial transport in a highly comfortable vehicle – a door-to-door service between the initial address and the aircraft’s point of departure – and the check-in and delivery of any luggage that exceeds the 12kg limit to be taken inside the aircraft.
The quality and practicality of the Revo experience were quickly recognised by the public. Since the beginning of operations until August 2024, the monthly number of passengers grew 500% – and new destinations were added, in the countryside and on the coast of the state of Sāo Paulo.
NEW AIRCRAFT
According to Welsh, Revo had only planned to add a third aircraft a few months from now. –in addition to its two modern Airbus models H155 (capacity for eight passengers) and H135 (six passengers). However, faced with a growth above initial expectations, it decided to anticipate the arrival of another H155.
"With the number of flights we now do on a daily basis it has become necessary to increase our fleet’s capacity." The third helicopter, according to Revo’s CEO, is expected to join the operations in late September. Before the creation of any new route, the priority will be to improve even more the quality of the service being offered in the existing ones. "We want to increase our offer with confidence. In order to do that, we need an adequate fleet."
While it expands its operational capacity, Revo keeps its focus on what has been an obsession of the company: safety. "In aviation, safety is a continuous process, and it will always be. Every little detail matters," says João Welsh. According to him, on top of other highlights of Revo’s services – two-engine helicopters, two pilots, constant maintenance, regular training, high technology – other aspects help secure safe flights.
"In commercial aviation, with airplanes, there are already several procedures, and the passengers’ behaviour is more uniform. And what we do here at Revo is the same," he says. "We want to share with our clients the knowledge about what is safe and what is not and stress to them and to our team that all details matter. This is our daily mission."
Those details, according to him, include the use of safety belts inside the helicopter, the correct accommodation of personal belongings, and the right ways of entering and leaving the aircraft, amongst others. Every month Revo discusses internally its flight safety procedures in order to be sure that every detail is how it should be – and, if necessary, make adjustments.
TRANSPORT OF THE FUTURE
Welsh says that Brazil is a priority market for the European multinational group OHI (Omni Helicopters International), which Revo is part of. For that reason, he explains, the company has an even bigger role to play. "We are here to help the market evolve." This evolution already has an eye on the future arrival of the eVTOL, commonly known as "electric flying car".
The Revo service, according to João Welsh, is a trailblazer in the adoption of urban air transport on a large scale. "We are pioneers in this market. We believe that, in order to make this transition well, first it is necessary to operate in the urban environment with the technology that exists today."
In this process, he believes Brazil is well positioned. "Here we have one of the best examples of a city that needs this technology, São Paulo, and Brazil is already producing its own eVTOL," he says, referring to the aerial vehicle developed by Embraer. That is another reason for the company to look to the future with great enthusiasm. On the first anniversary of the Revo’s flying service in Sāo Paulo, everything suggests that the sky is the limit.
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