WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court says private pilots can’t offer flight-sharing services to the public using an Internet model similar to sites like Uber and Lyft.

The ruling upholds a decision by the FAA that found that the service offered by a Boston-based company, Flytenow, violates flight regulations. The company’s website connected private pilots with passengers willing to share fuel costs and other flight expenses.

The FAA says posting a planned trip on a website is like advertising, so the private pilots would have to meet the same safety regulations as pilots for commercial airlines.