Airbnb has tapped Fred Reid -- the founding CEO of Virgin
America and a former Delta president -- to spearhead the company's foray into
transportation.
Reid will take on the new role of global head of
transportation, charged with cultivating the company's plans to "create opportunities
for partners in the travel space by offering them access" to Airbnb.
Fred Reid
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said that the home-sharing platform
is experimenting with how to best incorporate transportation concepts and
partnerships.
"We haven't settled on exactly what those will look
like," said Chesky. "I'm not interested in building our own airline
or creating just another place on the Internet where you can buy a plane
ticket, but there is a tremendous opportunity to improve the transportation
experience for everyone."
Reid comes to Airbnb from Cora Aircraft Program, where he
most recently served as president. A division of aviation start-up Kitty Hawk, Cora
Aircraft Program said it has developed an air taxi that combines "electric
power, self-piloting software and vertical take-off to pioneer an entirely new
way to fly."