Midwest looking for 50 seat A/C

[arthompson]

We keep being told around Pinnacle that we're not bidding on the flying.

 

[wheelsup]

to add fuel to this fire, awac just named a new ceo, the CEO of skyway

Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation Names New CEO​

APPLETON, WI, -- July 10, 2006 - Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation (AWAC) today announced that it has hired James P. Rankin as President and CEO. Rankin is currently President and CEO of Skyway Airlines, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Midwest Air Group, Inc.

“We are extremely pleased to have someone of Jim’s caliber joining Air Wisconsin,” said Patrick J. Thompson, the company’s current CEO. “Jim is a strong leader with great operational and business acumen. When we join Jim with our CFO, Christine Deister, and the other officers of Air Wisconsin, we believe we have a leadership team that can take Air Wisconsin to new heights.”

Rankin has been with Midwest Air Group since first joining Skyway as a pilot in 1990. Within a few years, he moved through the positions of Chief Pilot and Director of Operations at Skyway before moving to Midwest Express Airlines in 1995. In addition to his current position as President and CEO of Skyway, Rankin also holds the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Midwest Airlines Saver Service, Midwest’s lower fare leisure product.

Rankin said, “I am very excited about joining Air Wisconsin Airlines, a company with a rich and distinguished heritage, and I look forward to working with AWAC’s 2,300 plus employees to further position the company for growth in the highly-competitive airline industry.”

Rankin holds a bachelor’s degree from Carroll College as well as an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He will assume his new position August 1.

Rankin will succeed Thompson, who took over as interim CEO in April after AWAC’s long-time CEO, Geoffrey Crowley, left the position to head up an investment company owned by AWAC’s shareholders. Thompson will rejoin William Jordan as the company’s Vice Chairmen.

AWAC operates as US Airways Express scheduling nearly 500 departures per day to 70 cities in 27 states and two Canadian provinces. It has a fleet of 70 Canadair Regional Jets and is the largest privately held regional airline in the United States. Additional information about AWAC can be found at www.airwis.com.

-End –

​

For those wanting a press release, please click here:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060710/cgm058.html?.v=49

 

[propsare4boats]

What did his meeting have to offer?

 

[Wacko]

keep you eyes on the other thread.

 

[mckpickle]

Nicely played AWAC...... I think we can just about assume who will get the Midex flying now. :beer:

 

[veneratio]

When is the winning bidder supposed to be announced?

 

[EX_CV580FR8Dawg]

think again mcpickle... assumption is the mother of all F*&k Ups

 

[1973Arrow]

When is the winning bidder supposed to be announced?

RFPs were due earlier this month. No deadline on a decision though.

 

[EX_CV580FR8Dawg]

Word is a decision will be final in Sept.

 

[Wacko]

Was there a decision on how many airplanes?

 

[1973Arrow]

Was there a decision on how many airplanes?

15-25 is what I remember hearing...

 

[Alchemy]

Does AWAC have financed airframes sitting around somewhere that they could use for this? Wouldn't they either need to acquire some ex Indy planes that are sitting in the desert or transfer airframes from the USAirways Express operation?

That's really the only benefit I could see that Expressjet has going for it....the airframes and flight crews will be readily available by the end of 1Q07. Expressjet should also be making someone a fairly good deal, as they will be in dire straits if they don't find a home for those airplanes within the next few months.

Admittedly, this CEO deal looks good for AWAC, but it's all just speculation obviously.

 

[wheelsup]

Does AWAC have financed airframes sitting around somewhere that they could use for this? Wouldn't they either need to acquire some ex Indy planes that are sitting in the desert or transfer airframes from the USAirways Express operation?

considering they sold something like $200mil in us air stock over the past few months they could just outright BUY the suckers...

if you've been to CKB lately you'll see that there are a bunch of -200's laying around.

 

[Superpilot92]

Question? How does AWAC benefit from picking up Skyways CEO, as far as the MIDEX flying is concerned? Plus our CEO came from CAL and Look where that got us. I guess we will know soon enough though. Good luck to us all in this industry.

 

[aerohawk]

The only thing i can say about express jet and the 69 planes, is that they wont be flying in midwest colors any time soon. Express jets cost are way to high to win any more bids