ALLENTOWN, Pa. --
It isnt quite like getting jilted at the prom, but Lehigh Valley
Air, the hometown air service at Pennsylvanias Lehigh Valley
Airport, may get dumped for the Hooters Girls.
The airport
authority, which was instrumental in creating Lehigh Valley Air a
month ago, is negotiating with charter carrier Hooters Air to
replace the new airline in the Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg,
Fla., markets, Lehigh Valley Airs only two markets.
Hooters Air also
is negotiating with Atlanta-based tour operator Aviation Advantage,
which manages Lehigh Valley Air and expects some compensation for
being ousted from its routes.
Aviation
Advantage said it isnt offended, however, and insisted Lehigh
Valley Air isnt going away.
Instead, Aviation
Advantage and the airport confirmed they already are discussing new
destinations the carrier could serve if Hooters Air takes over the
original routes.
We hope to never
be out of a job in Lehigh Valley, said Cary Evans, Aviation
Advantages executive vice president and COO. Thats the
plan.
The airport
authoritys plan all along had been to use Lehigh Valley Air to
prove the routes could be profitable, attracting established
carriers to fly them.
The airport
offered Aviation Advantage not only traditional airport incentives
such as landing-fee waivers and marketing money but also an
airport-funded and airport-run Web site and call center.
Airport officials
also asked Aviation Advantage to use the name of the region as the
trade name for the charter service, figuring that might encourage
community support.
Cary said Lehigh
Valley Air has been filling 70% of its seats with a daily flight
Wednesday through Monday on 148-seat aircraft.
Hooters was well
acquainted with what was going on because the company owns North
Carolina-based Pace Airlines, from which Aviation Advantage was
leasing aircraft, crews and maintenance for the Lehigh Valley Air
operation.
Like Lehigh
Valley Air, Hooters Air isnt a scheduled carrier. But it has
immediate brand recognition -- for better or worse -- thanks to its
restaurants and buxom waitresses.
Each Hooters Air
flight includes two Hooters Girls as hostesses, in addition to
three flight attendants in traditional garb.
Hooters Air
targets leisure travelers, particularly golfers, and serves 11
destinations.
We look at
[Lehigh Valley] as an opportunity to expand the brand, said Hooters
Air President Mark Peterson.
To contact
reporter Andrew Compart, send e-mail to [email protected].