Texas travelers already have access to Rise, a flight-sharing membership provider based in Dallas, and this week another operator, Texas Air Shuttle, is set to launch in Austin. Texas Air Shuttle aims to attract business travelers with monthly memberships that will provide unlimited flights between four Texas airports — McKinney, which is about a half hour from downtown Dallas; North Houston Regional; Stinson, just outside San Antonio; and Austin. Texas Air Shuttle will operate eight-seat twin-turboprop Beech King Air 200s with two-pilot crews.
Rise CEO Nick Kennedy told the Dallas Morning News his company had been considering adding McKinney to their network, but felt the demand there was not yet sufficient. He added that he’s not worried about the new competition. “We’re happy to have them in the industry,” he said. “This is a greatly needed service.” Texas Air Shuttle will charge about $2,000 to $3,000 for monthly memberships.
