Uber-style flight sharing services using private pilots has been ruled illegal by a Washington DC court, upholding an earlier judgement.
The court shot down Flytenow Inc.’s appeal against a previous Federal Aviation Administration ruling that said pilots who operate such services must have commercial licenses.
Flytenow.com’s service connects passengers who pool costs to travel on specific routes being flown by private pilots.
Throwing out Flytenow’s appeal, a panel of judges said: "Regulators have good reasons to distinguish between pilots who are licensed to offer services to the public and those who are not, as other courts have recognized."
It said there was a danger passengers could ‘contract with pilots who in fact lack the experience and credentials of commercial pilots.’
Alan Guichard, chief financial officer and co-founder of Flytenow, said the court’s decision means ‘less choice for consumers and less innovation in general aviation.’
Another company, AirPooler Inc., had previously been blocked by the FAA from operating a similar service.
