Asheville gets ‘air taxi’ service

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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This sounds cool:

A fledgling company that bills itself as a first-of-its-kind air taxi today added Orlando to its growing network of cities.

Boca Raton-based DayJet Corp. said it will begin flying to Orlando Executive Airport, as well as airports in St. Petersburg and 14 other markets across the Southeastern United States. With the expansion, the nine-month-old company that flies three-seat “very light jets” will now offer flights to more than 60 locations in seven states.

Unlike traditional air carriers, DayJet doesn’t have a set flying schedule. Instead, travelers planning a trip simply give alert the company when and where they need to travel and DayJet responds with an itinerary and a fare. The more flexible the travel window, the lower the fare.

DayJet’s targets business customers traveling between secondary markets, who typically would otherwise need to drive or fly a cumbersome commercial schedule with long hours and layovers.

The company is hoping to capitalize on flight cuts that larger passenger airlines are making between Orlando and secondary markets. For instance, four of the cities DayJet is adding — Asheville, N.C.; Birmingham, Ala.; Greenville, S.C.; and New Orleans — are markets that Delta Air Lines has dropped, or plans to drop, out of Orlando International Airport.