UK start-up AirPool has launched a flight sharing website with the intention to become the UK's leading demand-led, pay-per-seat air marketplace.

The company offers business and leisure travellers the choice of where and when they fly in the UK, connecting regions that aren't already served by commercial airlines or where time-consuming and stressful surface travel is the only alternative.

By partnering with professional CAA-approved operators that already operate small turboprop aircraft with up to 19 seats, it will pioneer 'Flying as a Service' in the UK by flying on-demand from local airports and offering a viable alternative to large, congested and stressful airports. AirPool will operate a shared-economy model confirming flights only when the minimum number of customers required has been reached.

CEO Peter Evans states: “Our aggregated-charter model isn't just about connecting private charter passengers; it's about intelligently using available business aircraft to satisfy regional travel needs on low-demand routes whilst enabling the traveller to save valuable time and boost productivity. We will make day-return business trips achievable between locations where that just isn't possible today. AirPool is all about flexibility, convenience and safety.”

The company is also confident that with the introduction of electric/hydrogen fuelled aircraft fast approaching, potentially as soon as 2023, and the advent of new electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in the next few years, AirPool will also be the go-to marketplace for booking all environmentally friendly, urban air transport flights.

AirPool is preparing to take bookings for whole-plane charters while it builds its mobile app to support the pay-per-seat model. Fundraising is underway with full launch anticipated in quarter one 2021.