Regulations and Government
Bizav Experts Caution Against Illegal Jet-seat Selling
Panel urges unity across legal operators
From left: moderator David Hernandez, Vedder Price; Dan Harris, Ironbird Partners; Barry Lambert, Southern Sky Aviation; Jacquie Dalton, Sparrow Executive Jets; Wade Black, Magnifica Air
From left: moderator David Hernandez, Vedder Price; Dan Harris, Ironbird Partners; Barry Lambert, Southern Sky Aviation; Jacquie Dalton, Sparrow Executive Jets; Wade Black, Magnifica Air © Amy Wilder

A panel at Corporate Jet Investor Miami 2025 examined the growing problem of informal jet sharing, warning that flight-by-seat selling through WhatsApp groups and similar platforms poses major safety, insurance, and legal risks. Moderator David Hernandez of Vedder Price said such activity is more than a simple legal gray area, noting that consumers using illegal jet share services “really have no rights” if something goes wrong.

Dan Harris of Ironbird Partners said the trend shows how the industry has failed to meet a demand. “The consumer obviously wants it, and we have been unable to provide a solution,” he said, calling the rise of WhatsApp and other illegal app-based sharing a “failed opportunity” for legitimate providers to create compliant options.