Monday, June 17, 2013

OpenAirplane Targets Los Angeles With Airplane Rental Service

Tech-savvy users who like services like Zipcar, Uber, RelayRides, and Car2Go are used to being able to now rent and find cars by the hour or day in areas like Los Angeles. So it's no surprise that airplane pilots are getting their own version of those services, targeted at letting pilots rent airplanes by smartphone, tablet, or computer. OpenAirplane said Monday that it has launched in Los Angeles, letting pilots join and rent aircraft, and aircraft operators to list their aircraft, starting with Long Beach Airport (LGB). The addition of Los Angeles as a market came as OpenAirplane also added service in new York, Chicago, San Jose, Kissimmee, and Detroit.

The service is the newest technology-meets-aviation startup to debut in as many weeks in the Los Angeles area -- just last week, Surf Air launched an all-you-can-fly subscription airline out of Burbank airport, catering to the technology set commuting between Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.

OpenAirplane is based in Chicago. The firm's service revolves around pre-screening and rating pilots, and allowing both pilots and aircraft operators from contributing to a ratings and reputation system.

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