Ever wanted to fly like a movie start or head of state? Now you can with Jettly, a startup that allows private pilots to fill empty seats on their flights and share expenses with public passengers.

“It’s the ultimate win-win. General aviation is the primary training ground for most commercial pilots, private pilots save money while building their hours and exercising their passion for flying, and passengers experience the luxury of flying private with an experienced pilot already flying to their destination usually getting them to their destination in minutes, instead of hours, avoid high taxes, expensive airfares, and long airport lineups,” says its CEO Mr. Justin Crabbe (press release via Newswire).

Jettly gives passengers access to 5000 public airports in North America, compared to less than 500 through traditional scheduled airlines. Riding with private pilots offers passengers less wait time and puts them closer to their destination. The app has plans to support general aviation in Canada and the US by donating $1 (USD or CAD) for every flight flown to the American Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) or the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA).

How Does Jettly Work?

Pilots create a profile and list flight details and costs. Passengers submit a booking request and communicate with the pilot through an in-app messaging platform. Pilots have final say in who they fly with and reserve the right to cancel the service at any time.

Payments are managed within the app and are only released to the pilot after the flight is marked complete. If for any reason a trip is cancelled, the passenger receives a full refund.

As the Uber of the skies, Jettly builds trust and safety with its passengers and the general aviation community by ensuring all pilots hold necessary licenses. The platform also provides a rating system that allows pilots and passengers to provide honest feedback about the flight experience.

Founded by Canadian entrepreneur and private pilot Justin Crabbe, Jettly aims to disrupt the air travel industry. In addition to sharing costs of flights flown by private pilots, Jettly plans to network with existing on-demand commercial air operators in Canada and the United States to allow on-demand commercially regulated service providers to accept requests from passengers for short flights (under 1000NM) through the Jettly platform.

Would you use this service? What are some of your hesitations or concerns? Let us know in the comments below.