Wheels Up, the membership-based private aviation firm formed nearly two years ago by former NetJets vice chairman Kenny Dichter, is aiming to expand the private aviation customer base in the United States by millions of travelers with introduction of the industry’s first bizplane ride-sharing app.
Dichter says the app will let Wheels Up members share flights on the company’s Beech King Air and Cessna Citation fleet to help them dramatically cut the costs of air travel. The goal is to be able to offer a ride-sharing membership pricing tier that would cost travelers around $5,000 a year to join and then as little as $500 an hour to trade cramped airline aisles for the high-flying comfort of a private airplane seat.
