Vanguard??

[tired_pilot]

Whats the news at Vanguard?? Must be coming down to the wire about now? Good luck!

 

[flx757]

Found this bit of news from last week.

Hooters Owner to Buy Airline Assets
Fri Sep 6, 6:21 PM ET
By JOSH FREED, Associated Press Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The owner of the Hooters restaurant chain is preparing a bid to buy the assets of bankrupt Vanguard Airlines Inc.


The Kansas City-based airline will be renamed Hooters Air Inc. and may use the distinctive orange coloring, said A.J. Block, the Atlanta-based attorney for Hooters of America chairman Robert H. Brooks.

But, "there certainly won't be Hooters girls running up and down the aisles," Block said. "It's going to look like an airline. It's not going to look like a Hooters restaurant," he said.

Brooks has been giving Vanguard about $50,000 each week since mid-August to keep a skeleton staff while he considered whether to buy the assets of the idled low-fare carrier. He plans to submit a formal bid in the next few weeks, Block said.

The offer will be ready on Monday, but Brooks may wait until the following week to submit the proposal because of next week's anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Brooks did not respond to a request for an interview. A Vanguard spokeswoman did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press.

The new airline would fly about five of Vanguard's current routes, with more to be added later, Block said.

Block said he expects many Vanguard employees will be hired back. Vanguard laid off about 1,000 workers when it shut down operations and filed for bankruptcy on July 30.

All of Vanguard's airplanes were leased. Brooks would be buying assets such as airplane parts, ground equipment and furniture, Block said.

Brooks founded Eastern Foods Inc. in 1966, which makes dressings and sauces. Hooters was founded in 1983, and Brooks and a group of Atlanta investors bought expansion and franchise rights for the chain in 1984. Brooks eventually bought majority control and became chairman.

Vanguard, founded in 1994, had never shown a yearly profit. But Sept. 11 made its problems worse, and it — along with US Airways and Midway Airlines — have filed for bankruptcy since the terrorist attacks.

Block has said Brooks was interested in Vanguard partly because he lives Myrtle Beach, S.C., which was among the airline's destinations.

 

[frank rizzo]

The Kansas City curse no airline has ever made a dime flying out of there ! best of luck

 

[FL717]

Being a KC resident I can positively say this: Southwest has made a killing here. They occupy many gates. Also... every major airline, and many nationals have flights, and have had flights out of here for decades. There are 3 large terminals with almost 100% occupancy. If it was so bad we'd see no service or all Rj's. There is no KC curse.

 

[MooseTrax]

I have to agree with 717. Everytime I'm in KC its jammed at the airport, whether on SWA or any of the others. Great facilities and lots of growth in the KC area. Most haven't made out well because of the type of operation they have run, not just because its KC...........and I'm not from there, so my opinion isn't biased by that, but I will admit its a fun town.

 

[Frank Bama]

Who's going to Fly it?

Could we assume that the Pilots who were flying for Vanguard before will be reinstated to fly under the new "Hooters Air"? I know of a couple of guys who would love to go back to the 737 instead of what the are now forced with. Just curious.
Happy Flying.

 

[FL717]

I have a good friend that is "furloughed" (for lack of a better word) from bankrupt Vanguard, and he has been unofficially told that yes they will "recall" Vanguard pilots back in seniority order. That translates to probably 30-40 top Captains getting called. This is just a rumour though.