Airbnb names Fred Reid head of transportation

SAN FRANCISCO – Home-sharing company Airbnb has hired veteran aviation executive Fred Reid to explore future partnerships with airlines and other providers.

Reid has served as the founding CEO of Virgin America, president of Delta Airlines and president and chief operating officer of Lufthansa. Most recently he was president of Kitty Hawk’s Cora program, which is developing autonomous, electric “air taxis.”

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says the company doesn’t want to start its own airline or sell tickets. It wants to partner with providers who make travel easier and more fun.

The hire is part of Airbnb’s goal of becoming an end-to-end platform that gets people to its properties and helps them plan what to do when they arrive.

Airbnb is preparing for an initial public offering as early as this year.