Hooters owner wants to buy airline to serve Myrtle Beach

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Posted 7:17PM on Saturday, October 5, 2002

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The owner of the Atlanta-based Hooters restaurant chain isn't giving up on his quest to buy an airline to serve this tourist town and the place he calls home. Robert H. Brooks' bid to purchase the assets of bankrupt Vanguard Airlines was rejected last week, but he says negotiations are in the works to buy Pace Airlines. "We're just trying to reach an objective," Brooks told The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News Friday. "At one time, we thought we could walk in and it wouldn't take long to jumpstart Vanguard. But that didn't work out. Then we started looking at Pace." The North Carolina-based airline, a division of Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation, specializes in corporate shuttles and business jets, catering to sports teams, VIP business travelers and vacation charters. The airline has 18 jets and 300 employees, most of whom are based in Winston-Salem. Much of the airline's management team has been together since the days of Piedmont Airlines, which was bought by USAirways in 1988. Bob Kemp, director of Myrtle Beach International Airport, said he is "hopeful Mr. Brooks is able to develop some type of airline that is able to provide some beneficial service to Myrtle Beach - that's one of his goals." Economic conditions and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have cost the airport a number of flights and a double-digit drop in passengers. Atlantic Southeast Airlines currently is the only carrier flying nonstop from Myrtle Beach to Atlanta, a market that once also was served by Vanguard and AirTran. Brooks spent $500,000 to keep Vanguard Airlines afloat while he negotiated to purchase its assets, including its airline operating certificate. Vanguard's attorney, Daniel Flanigan, said the offer from Hooters Air was inadequate. Brooks said he is hopeful negotiations with Pace will be settled in about a week. "I don't want people to get their hopes up too soon," Brooks said. "We don't have anything on the dotted line. There's another airline in the picture and I don't want to say too much until it's time to say something." Brooks said he is pursuing other airlines and could start his own airline from scratch to promote his business while adding additional air service to Myrtle Beach. "It's exciting," Brooks said. "I think if you can dream it you can probably do it.". Pace Airline officials were unavailable Friday. Ashby Ward, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, said community leaders have had discussions with Pace about possible service to Myrtle Beach. "We need service to other cities and we also need to bolster the service out of Atlanta," Ward said.