Cessna Flights for the Masses

It’s relatively inexpensive and easy, if not always comfortable, to fly to most big U.S. cities. But try to fly from, say, Burlington, Vt., to Portland, Maine: The best option might take you through New York, cost $800, and burn the better part of a day. The regional carriers that used to serve routes like these have been shuttered in the era of a few mega-airlines focused on their national hubs, so the only option for most travelers is a five-hour drive.

A startup in San Francisco is trying to redraw the map by tapping into a system that’s largely invisible to everyday travelers: the country’s 3,000 general aviation airports and 10,000 charter aircraft. This fleet of Federal Aviation Administration-regulated Cessna, Beechcraft, and Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. planes sits parked most of the day, waiting for last-minute charters from companies or wealthy individuals. “I thought it would be an amazing thing to bring this type of air travel to everybody,” says Rudd Davis, whose year-old startup, Blackbird Air Inc., is trying to connect more planes with passengers through its Uber-style on-demand app, at much lower prices than the $5,000 a traditional charter might cost.