I think that is an unfair summarisation since all the Wright brothers did was fly a very non-practical plane for about ten seconds as a kind of "MVP". There was no market. Commercial airliners took that core technology, refined it, and used it to actually create an entire new service and market.
I am writing about Ryan air or Southwest those companies did nothing to on R&D for flights.
No one is accusing them that we don't have a Moon colony because they are doing what they do.
Author is accusing application operating company that there is not enough innovation because of them. So it seems author just took Uber marketing division where they shout about "innovation" seriously.
There are companies that are doing actual R&D and Uber is buying services/goods from them, so it is like Southwest buying Boeing planes is actually paying R&D costs of coming up with better planes.
Also author is making point that somehow there is not enough innovation - well I have different point of view - whole innovation happened and made it possible to operate something like Uber. Smartphones and mobile connectivity with GPS is the innovation that was not as widespread 20 years ago, heck even 10 years ago things were still starting up.
Commercial airlines are building on top what Wright brothers did and just grab easy money instead of figuring out how to fly people to the Moon.