Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

It's Final: Avantair to Be Liquidated - AIN Article

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

johnsonrod

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Posts
4,218
Sad day for all of the pilots (and their families) involved. Sounds like Wheels Up (new King Air 350 operator) will be ramping up shortly as a potential employment alternative. The regionals, low-costs and legacies should also be hiring quite a bit. Good luck to all involved!

See below:


Avantair To Be Liquidated, Trustee Tracking Down Assets
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Clearwater Fla.-based Avantair’s assets will be sold off and the company liquidated after it failed to meet a deadline last week to contest an involuntary Chapter 7 filing in the Florida Middle District U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Tampa. Judge Catherine McEwen signed an order on Friday converting the case to full Chapter 7 status and gave former fractional provider Avantair until this Friday to provide the court with a list of creditors, co-debtors and unexpired leases. The court has also given Avantair’s creditors until December 18 to file a claim. Avantair bankruptcy trustee Beth Ann Scharrer asked the court to authorize the examination of Avantair CEO Steven Santo, CFO Bret Holmes, president David Haslett, associate general counsel Tom Palmiero, executive vice president Kevin McKamey and executive vice president of finance and operations Stephen Wagman “to obtain any and all documents in [their] possession related to the assets, liabilities and business operations of [Avantair].” This includes emails, written documents, phone records, personal bank records and individual tax returns, to name just a few. Scharrer has also subpoenaed Wells Fargo for Avantair’s bank records. Meanwhile, the FAA has suspended the airworthiness certificates of much of the Avantair Piaggio Avanti fleet–some via emergency orders, the remainder under non-emergency orders–because the FAA “Administrator has determined that there are reasonable bases for questioning the airworthiness of the aircraft.” In a sample inspection, the FAA found that four Avantair-operated Avantis had long lists of discrepancies (one alone had 83), while nine others were missing “major components,” such as an engine or engines.[/FONT]
http://www.cfmediaview.com/lp1.aspx?v=8_73932821_2392_9
 
Dime was talking about the B19 Post.....not that AA was shut down Newkem. But your post smells like your wishing bad things for others? Be mad at your top crooks...not other frac pilots.

AA crooks killed that company, not the Union, not the economic state of our country. Nothing but the top brass.

Mergers are coming IMHO and i hope its for the Planes, pilots and market share. FLOPS buys CA or Flex....something like that, but we wont know until the FLOPS tells the Union. They have to inform the Union 30 days before any merger that involves merging senority lists. Other than that we all will be the last to know.
 
A sad, sad ending to what could have been a solid, niche-market operation.

Best of luck to all Avatair employees. Things actually are getting better in this stoopid little industry of ours. Keep plugging.

And I hear the King Air 350i is a nice plane....
 
I can't tell you how many conversations that I had with Owners who couldn't figure out why things were failing. They couldn't figure it out. I couldn't figure it out.

"Where's all the money going?" I heard, over and over. "You've got a FANTASTIC product! Why isn't this working" I heard, time and time again.

You'd better bet that we're going to find out a LOT of things over the next couple of months as the authorities get deeper into their investigation.

Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes. They're appreciated. I am going to really miss working with the guys/ladies at Avantair. Looks like it's back to the Regionals for me.
 
I can't tell you how many conversations that I had with Owners who couldn't figure out why things were failing. They couldn't figure it out. I couldn't figure it out.

"Where's all the money going?" I heard, over and over. "You've got a FANTASTIC product! Why isn't this working" I heard, time and time again.

You'd better bet that we're going to find out a LOT of things over the next couple of months as the authorities get deeper into their investigation.

Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes. They're appreciated. I am going to really miss working with the guys/ladies at Avantair. Looks like it's back to the Regionals for me.

Of course it was a fantastic product, especially at the prices they were charging. If they charged what it really cost to profitably run the operation, the would have had many fewer customers.
 
Of course it was a fantastic product, especially at the prices they were charging. If they charged what it really cost to profitably run the operation, the would have had many fewer customers.

I agree with you there.... same goes for XOJET

They are (were) flying unprofitably to grab market share, I assume the plan is to raise their prices once they have a customer base large enough to sustain the business....

That's a good plan but how long can you keep the fire going with so little oxygen???
 
Of course it was a fantastic product, especially at the prices they were charging. If they charged what it really cost to profitably run the operation, the would have had many fewer customers.

That's the crazy thing. The Owners openly said that they'd pay more if it meant keeping the operation going. They were assessed fees and surcharges, but it sure looks like somebody had their hand in the cookie jar.

Like I said, can't wait for the investigation to get going...
 
Did you get on with a commuter AftCG??

Did you give EJM a try? they're always looking, good growth there


Got on with a Regional. Quick upgrade, no reserve, one-leg commute. Good growth.

Preparing myself for the first-year poverty income... Done it before, I can do it again.
 
Got on with a Regional. Quick upgrade, no reserve, one-leg commute. Good growth.

Preparing myself for the first-year poverty income... Done it before, I can do it again.

Where? My desk job / second career seems to be detonating.
 
Sorry to hear this. When I worked the ramp at APF I always had good experience with the Avantair pilots, especially since none of them ever tried to start #1 while I was pulling a gpu (can't say the same for a private operator who came in once.) I have a contact who was flying a private P180 for a bank that went under, moved over to Avantair and now is shot again.
 
Crooks!!!!!!!!!

Avantair To Be Liquidated, Trustee Tracking Down Assets




Crooks running aviation companies!!!Sounds a lot like the old "Wings Air" out of LZU!!!!!!The place was full of crooks,top mgmt.,that is!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes::rolleyes: :angryfire:angryfire:angryfire
 
We will miss you guys... all the Avantair crews I met in the FBO's were class acts.
I sincerely wish all of you great success in the process....
 
http://www.avantair.com/

I think the judge forgot to order them to take the website down; unbelievable! Not one mention of any of this! I'm tempted to call up as 'Joe Blow' and try to sign up for the program.. these crooks would probably take my $$. Sorry to all employees (especially pilots, as I'm biased toward 'my own')..but I certainly hope none of these MGMT clowns ever get another job; especially in aviation. Perhaps they'll do some prison time; looks like the court will be scrutinizing them retrospectively.
 
http://www.avantair.com/

I think the judge forgot to order them to take the website down; unbelievable! Not one mention of any of this! I'm tempted to call up as 'Joe Blow' and try to sign up for the program.. these crooks would probably take my $$. Sorry to all employees (especially pilots, as I'm biased toward 'my own')..but I certainly hope none of these MGMT clowns ever get another job; especially in aviation. Perhaps they'll do some prison time; looks like the court will be scrutinizing them retrospectively.

Sadly not likely. The same MGMT will preside over the next disaster for pilots and their families. "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..."
 
Ignored!!!!!!!

It's Final: Avantair to Be Liquidated - AIN Article




I was warned 3 years ago to NOT work for this place!!!!!!!!!!I was also advised by someone else,that was UN-INFORMED of the situation,to give the place a try!!!!!
Glad I ignored them!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes::rolleyes: :angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire
 
That's the crazy thing. The Owners openly said that they'd pay more if it meant keeping the operation going. They were assessed fees and surcharges, but it sure looks like somebody had their hand in the cookie jar.

Like I said, can't wait for the investigation to get going...

I can't tell you how many conversations that I had with Owners who couldn't figure out why things were failing. They couldn't figure it out. I couldn't figure it out.

"Where's all the money going?" I heard, over and over. "You've got a FANTASTIC product! Why isn't this working" I heard, time and time again.

You'd better bet that we're going to find out a LOT of things over the next couple of months as the authorities get deeper into their investigation.

Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes. They're appreciated. I am going to really miss working with the guys/ladies at Avantair. Looks like it's back to the Regionals for me.

It's obvious you guys had thieves running the show. There is something about this business that attracts crooks into management and ownership positions. I wish you guys the best and it's a sad day for aviation. Hopefully the management scum that ripped everyone off will pay the price but we all know that isn't going to happen.
 
It's obvious you guys had thieves running the show. There is something about this business that attracts crooks into management and ownership positions. I wish you guys the best and it's a sad day for aviation. Hopefully the management scum that ripped everyone off will pay the price but we all know that isn't going to happen.

Wish we could have an investigation of CitationAir's original owner and his cronies. He raped that place blind right underneath the noses of Cessna and walked away scot-free.
 
It seems like just yesterday, glASSpilot was telling me how much my job at a regional sucks, belittling airline pilots, calling us insulting names and spouting off about how his job at Avantair was so much better. I feel sorry for you guys that lost your job... except for him.
 
There is something about this business that attracts crooks into management and ownership positions.
They are cash cows. Huge cash flows that can pay huge salaries and bonuses.
Look at the airlines. In the end the game comes to an end but they got their salaries and bonuses.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top Bottom