Atlanta-based ImagineAir, an air taxi service that helps travelers reach their destinations sooner, is now available at several airports in Montgomery and Chester counties, including Heritage Field Airport in Limerick, writes Donna Rovins of the Pottstown Mercury.

“We are in the business of taking people off the road and giving them back their day,” said Ben Hamilton, CEO of ImagineAir. “We can turn a three- to seven-hour drive into a one- to two-hour flight, using regional and local airports.”

Hamilton said customers flying with ImagineAir book their flight online and choose their departure and arrival airports.

“We bring the airplane to the customer,” Hamilton said. “The plane will come and pick you up from your local airport – there is no security line, no layover. You just hand your bag to the pilot and take off.”

ImagineAir began serving the Pottstown area about 18 months ago, according to airport manager Chris Jordan, who saw an ad for ImagineAir and reached out to the company to ask about the service.

The company has a fleet of 11 aircraft that seat four people, as well as 40 employees. According to its Web site, the company operates a fleet of Cirrus SR-22 GTS aircraft. ImagineAir’s pilots are commercially rated with an average of 9,000 hours and receive training twice a year.

“Eighty-five percent of people live and work within a 20-minute drive of a small airport,” Hamilton said, adding that the breakdown of travelers is about 70 percent business to 30 percent leisure. He said most business travel is 500 miles or less, and typically includes two or three people.

“Lots of people think of small airports as a playground for small pilots. We’re trying to change that,” Hamilton added.

Click here to read the Mercury’s report in its entirety.