By Aline Brandstatter
Just alike the rise of short-distance ride-sharing, flight-sharing has been attracting more and more European followers of alternative and ready for adventure ways of travelling.
The principle is very simple and consists of private pilots proposing seats to individuals on a flight pool through a website. Passengers then pay the online platform to board the plane, the latter remitting the payment to the pilot.
In order to ensure that the flight takes place, the following needs to be considered. First, offers must be driven by a shared-cost scheme, meaning that pilots cannot make a living out of this activity, since they also contribute to the costs of the flight. Secondly, 5 passengers only can be taken on board.
This new trend of flight-sharing platforms – sometimes referred to as “Blablacar of the skies” – is part of a wider movement to promote peer-to-peer collaboration and expand into the world across a range of sectors. New business models of course are not without controversy when it comes to ensuring that they can operate on the European single market with legal certainty.
If you are interested in learning more about the on-going policy discussions about the rise of the collaborative economy and the questions it raises with regard to its application in practise, please contact the Political Intelligence Brussels office
