Flytenow
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Flytenow was a flight-sharing marketplace, dubbed the Uber of the skies. The Boston startup, backed by Y Combinator and co-founded by Matt Voska, let private pilots post the trips they were already planning, called adventures, and open the empty seats to passengers willing to split fuel and fee costs.
02 / Flytenow FAILURE REASONS
Failure reasons
The Federal Aviation Administration ruled in August 2015 that posting a planned trip on a website counted as advertising, making participating pilots common carriers subject to the same onerous regulations as commercial airlines. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the FAA in December 2015, forcing Flytenow to shut down indefinitely. The Supreme Court declined to hear the company's appeal on January 9, 2017, ending the legal fight.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Company founded
Flytenow is founded in Boston and joins Y Combinator to build a flight cost-sharing marketplace.
- FAA ruling
The FAA issues an interpretation in August 2015 barring internet-facilitated flight cost-sharing; Flytenow removes the expense-sharing feature.
- Court loss and shutdown
The D.C. Circuit upholds the FAA in December 2015, and Flytenow shuts down indefinitely.
- Supreme Court declines case
The U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Flytenow's appeal on January 9, 2017, ending the company's legal challenge.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN
How the factors connect
- 01
The FAA's August 2015 interpretation classified Flytenow pilots as common carriers, forcing removal of the cost-sharing feature.
- 02
The D.C. Circuit upheld the FAA in December 2015; Flytenow shut down indefinitely.
- 03
The Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal on January 9, 2017.
- 04
No reliable loss figure with a clear subject, period and basis exists, so no loss amount is recorded.