THURSDAY SEP 21, 2023
×
Search AeroXplorer
A New Uber, but For Airplanes

A New Uber, but For Airplanes

BY DANIEL MENA 19622d AGO 1 COMMENTS

A new app was released, named BlackBird, which pairs private pilots to customers for as little as $50 per flight, is becoming more and more popular in the California area. Customers simply input a route to their app, pay a fee, and they are paired with a private pilot willing to take them on that flight. 


Recently, though, there has been some warnings by the FAA about this software."If you pay for a charter flight you are entitled to a higher level of safety than is required from a free flight from a friend," the agency said in an unusually pointed public statement. Though Blackbird insists that they are not an air carrier or a private plane company, the FAA isn't buying it. They believe that because of the scale of Blackbird's users and the similar management as that of an airline, they should be subject to airline regulations when flying. 


Although the FAA has tried to warn Blackbird customers about its dangers, the company has disclaimers on their website urging that these allegations are false. The FAA classifies any movement of people for compensation as a business falling under the category of charter/commercial aviation, but Blackbird claims that their pilots are just flying for leisure, and the passengers are just "tagging along". Despite this, the FAA said last week, "We have little trouble concluding that the pilots listed on BlackBird's pilot database selected by the user are transporting persons or property, from place to place, for compensation. Despite BlackBird's assertion that the pilots are not transporting persons or property, it is clear that they are being hired for that very purpose."


What do you think? Leave your opinions in the comments section below.






Daniel Mena
President and Founder of AeroXplorer. Web Developer and Aviation photographer. Contact me for questions and inquiries through my Instagram DMs, linked below.

Comments (1)

staff Nice Article!
Reply

Add Your Comment

SHARE

TAGS

INFORMATIONAL california uber plane airplane rideshare TheExplorerBlog

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

This Airport Will Be the World's First to Stop Using Passports Starting next year, one of the world's busiest airports will not require passengers to have passports. Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) will introduce automated immigration clearance that uses biometric data to scan departing passengers. This system could suggest what the future of travel looks like. NEWS READ MORE »
United Airlines Becomes Third Airline with Fake Engine Parts United Airlines has become the latest airline to have sketchy engine parts in its aircraft. On September 18, Bloomberg reported that UK-based supplier AOG Technics provided fake engine parts to the airline. United is not the only carrier with this issue: Virgin Australia and Southwest Airlines also received counterfeit parts from AOG Technics. NEWS READ MORE »
Flights to Aspen, Yosemite, and Alaska: Delta Air Lines Adds More Services to the Western U.S. It is always early enough to start planning your summer vacation. Even though the summer just ended, you can determine your summer 2024 travel plans with the help of Delta Air Lines. The airline announced several new routes to multiple U.S. destinations from its hubs. ROUTES READ MORE »


SHOP

$2999
NEW!AeroXplorer Aviation Sweater Use code AVGEEK for 10% off! BUY NOW

FOLLOW US ONLINE