Hooters Air

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hooters Air
Hooters air logo.png
IATA ICAO Callsign
H1
Y5 		– Pace
Founded2003
Commenced operationsMarch 6, 2003; 18 years ago (2003-03-06)
Ceased operationsApril 17, 2006; 15 years ago (2006-04-17)
Fleet size7
Destinations17
Parent companyPace Airlines
HeadquartersMyrtle Beach, South Carolina
Key peopleBob Brooks (founder)
Websitehttp://www.hootersair.com

Hooters Air was an airline headquartered in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States. Hooters Air flights were operated by Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Pace Airlines both as ad hoc private charters, and as scheduled USDOT public charters. As such, flights operated both under Pace Airlines' IATA Code of Y5 for ad hoc charters, and under its own IATA Code of H1 for public charters.[citation needed]

History[]

The airline was established in 2003 and started operations on March 6, 2003. It was founded by Hooters of America restaurant owner Robert Brooks, who acquired Pace Airlines in December 2002.[1] All flights were operated by Pace Airlines. Hooters Air was owned by Hooters of America, Inc. Brooks initially envisioned Hooters Air as an unconventional means of generating awareness for the Hooters restaurant brand;[2] the carrier was sometimes referred to as a "flying billboard" for the restaurant chain.

Hooters Air Boeing 737 waiting on the ramp at Orlando International Airport

Aside from its unorthodox neighborhood chain-restaurant tie-in, Hooters Air sought to differentiate itself from other carriers with a distinctive style of in-flight service. The carrier was marketed towards golfers in an effort to bring casual and tournament players to Myrtle Beach's 100+ championship golf courses. Two "Hooters Girls," dressed in their restaurant uniforms, were on each flight assisting the (traditionally attired) in-flight crews with hospitality duties. The company advertised nonstop flights for most routes, including slogans like "Fly a mile high with us." Although Hooters Air billed itself as a low-fare carrier, rows of seats were removed from the aircraft to provide a 34-inch (86 cm) seating pitch to all passengers, comparable to the legroom offered by many carriers' business classes; in keeping with the golf-friendly orientation of the carrier, this was called "Club Class" seating. Additionally, all seats were upholstered in dark blue or black leather, and all aircraft were painted in Hooters' orange and white company colors featuring the company logo, and mascot ("Hootie the Owl"), on the vertical stabilizer. Also, at a time when many low-cost carriers were eliminating in-flight frills in an effort to curtail expenses, Hooters Air served complimentary meals to all customers on trips lasting over one hour.[citation needed]

On December 8, 2005, Hooters announced that it would end service to Rockford, Illinois on January 5, 2006, as a result of the airport authority's bringing in a competing airline (United Airlines) on its Rockford-Denver route, and providing revenue guarantees for the competitor.

All commercial services were suspended on January 9, 2006. Parent company Pace Airlines continued with charter services for another three years, ceasing operations in September 2009.[1] On April 17, 2006, Hooters Air ceased operations, halting scheduled public charter service and refunding tickets. The company attributed this cessation of service primarily to a marked increase in fuel costs in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the autumn of 2005.

The airline is estimated to have cost Hooters of America $40 million.[3]

Destinations[]

Destinations at closure[]

Service to the following airports ended on April 17, 2006.[4]

United States[]

Destinations ended prior to closure[]

Bahamas[]

United States[]

Fleet[]

Hooters Air Boeing 737-300

The Hooters Air fleet consisted of the following aircraft (in 2006):[10]

Popular culture[]

  • On his 2005 comedy album The Right to Bare Arms, Larry the Cable Guy talks about Hooters Airlines, how he got "80,000 frequent boner miles", and how the flight waitresses took their shorts off when he asked where the "cock pit" was. He also said it was the only time he booked an aisle seat and prayed for turbulence.
  • In February 2018, Business Insider posted a video on their YouTube Channel, "The Rise And Fall Of Hooters Air", charting the history of Hooters Air.[11] The video has been viewed more than 7 million times.[12]
  • In August 2021, the popular educational YouTuber, Sam Denby, posted a video on Half as Interesting called "Hooters' Very Real Airline", also detailing the history of Hooters Air.[13]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Flight International Directory: World Airlines, p91, April 3, 2007
  2. ^ Helyar, John (September 1, 2003). "Hooters: A Case Study" (PDF). Fortune. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 2, 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2007.
  3. ^ Horovitz, Bruce. (2013, April 29). "Recipe For Success: 2 Cups Not Enough/30 years ago it was, but now Hooters needs to be more". USA Today, p 4B.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Hooters Air Announces Cancellation of Service in Selected Cities." Hooters Air.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Flight Schedules" as of April 6, 2003.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Flight Schedules" as of June 6, 2004.
  7. ^ "Hooters Air Expands Service". PR Newswire. June 8, 2005. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Flight Schedules" page up as of January 8, 2007. Hooters Air.
  9. ^ "USATODAY.com - Hooters Air adds three cities". usatoday30.usatoday.com.
  10. ^ http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Hooters-Air
  11. ^ Business, Insider. "The Rise And Fall Of Hooters Air". YouTube.
  12. ^ "Social Blade Profile For Business Insider". Social Blade.
  13. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFeupAwC4Gw

External links[]

Stub icon

This article relating to a United States airline is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""