Is flying with Volara really legal?

Yes. Flying with Volara rests on a clear legal framework, not on a grey area. Cost-sharing flights, meaning the sharing of a flight's costs, are permitted under an exception in European law (Article 6(4a) of Regulation (EU) 965/2012). Commercial flights and empty legs, on the other hand, are reserved for professional operators holding an air operator certificate.

An exception, but under strict conditions

This exception only applies when several conditions are met at the same time: the aircraft is not complex motor-powered, the flight carries no more than six occupants including the pilot, only the direct costs are shared, and the pilot makes no profit. The moment even one of these conditions fails, the flight becomes public transport, which a private pilot is not allowed to operate.

Volara checks before and during

We check these conditions when the pilot posts a listing, and again every time it is displayed. A listing whose pilot is no longer verified disappears on its own. So you only ever see flights that stay within the framework.