Hooters Air Will End Pinellas Flights
Posted on: Thursday, 16 March 2006, 00:00 CST
By Ted Jackovics, Tampa Tribune, Fla.
Mar. 16--ST. PETERSBURG -- Hooters Air will discontinue its flights at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport on April 17, ending the area's non stop link with Lehigh Valley International Airport in eastern Pennsylvania, directors of both airports said Wednesday.
A call to a Hooters reservations agent confirmed that service at the Pinellas airport would be discontinued April 17. Airline president Mark Peterson could not be reached for comment. The scheduled-charter airline subsidiary of the Hooters restaurant chain is based in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The news locally could be worse. Hooters Air is paid up on its landing fees and terminal rental at the Pinellas airport, director Noah Lagos said.
However, Hooters owes about $900,000 for jet fuel at the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa., airport, director George Doughty said.
"The truth is Hooters Air is restructuring, trying to figure out whether to stay in business," Lagos said.
Hooters' flights from Pinellas drew strong passenger loads -- an average of 2,000 passengers on four weekly flights in both January and February.
Overall, the airport handled 66,856 passengers the first two months of 2006.
Despite the loss of Hooters Air, any change in airport revenue will be minuscule, Lagos said.
USA 3000 remains as the Pinellas airport's domestic passenger mainstay. USA 3000 flies 24 weekly flights to seven destinations: Newark, N.J., Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
-----
To see more of the Tampa Tribune -- including its homes, jobs, cars and other classified listings -- or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tampatrib.com.
Copyright (c) 2006, Tampa Tribune, Fla.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.
Source: Tampa Tribune
Related Articles
- More U.S. Airports Offering International Flights
- Airport Fancies More Flights: Air Summit Pitches Rosy Forecast
- Mace Clears Logan: Airport Evacuated, Outgoing Flights Delayed
- W.Va. Airports to Offer Flights to Cleveland Starting in May
- Airport Launches Direct Flight to Cuba
- Baghdad airport reopens, first flight leaves
- CORRECTED-Baghdad airport reopens, first flight leaves
- Airport Adds 3 Atlanta Flights
- Kuwait International Airport Witness Travelers, Flights Increase inJune
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds