Hooters Air - the "cool" airline - closes down after three years.

The emergence of Hooters Air

Initially, Hooters was founded by six entrepreneurs in Clearwater, Florida (USA) in 1983. A year later, another group based in Atlanta, led by investor Robert H. Brooks, saw the company's potential and immediately acquired the brand. They called it the first "cool restaurant" chain in America, and claimed they would pioneer young waitresses wearing short shorts and tight-fitting tank tops.

Under the leadership of its new owner, Hooters experienced phenomenal growth, evolving from a few small stores in Florida in the 1980s to a chain of over 430 restaurants worldwide by the 2000s (including Taiwan, Venezuela, and Switzerland).

By 2003, Brooks had plenty of cash, and he wanted to expand his brand. Brooks bought a small charter airline called Pace Airlines, then repainted the planes with the company's distinctive orange logo. And Hooters Air was born.

Low-cost airline, flight attendants in revealing outfits.

At the end of 2019, Forbes published an article titled: "The World's Most Deceptive Airlines," and of course, Hooters Air was included.

Starting with just six small Boeing aircraft and headquartered in Myrtle Beach, Carolina, Hooters Air is committed to extremely low fares, starting at just $99 for one-way flights to over 15 destinations across the United States.

The airline's most striking feature, besides its lucrative advertising revenue from in-flight advertising, is its stunning flight attendants. Hooters applies a "sexy waitress" model to its airline, aiming to make passengers feel like they're entering a restaurant when they board, where they are guided to their seats and served food by attractively dressed women.

On each flight, two girls from the Hooters restaurant are present, while the remaining three are flight attendants certified by the Civil Aviation Authority. For the Hooters waitresses, the "job change" from serving in restaurants to serving airline passengers is a very interesting experience. "It's a great change. Instead of carrying food and clearing tables all day, on the plane, we basically just chat, have fun, or play games," one waitress shared.

The flight attendants also had no complaints. Sara Nitz, a flight attendant for Hooters Air, said, “I have a navy blue uniform and an orange scarf with a little owl embroidered on it. Very professional.” Kimberly Cerimele, another flight attendant, added, “Normally, flight attendants are in charge of serving food on the plane. But we just do the necessary safety procedures. Then, two girls from the Hooters restaurant come out, do a little quiz or sing a song. They don’t have any training; they’re just there to entertain the passengers.”

A former Hooters Air pilot jokingly remarked, "I'm probably one of the few pilots who've ever flown a plane straight up."heaven".

According to Cerimele, a former Hooters employee, she never witnessed any form of harassment on their flights. “Flirting was definitely present. There were people who had a little too much to drink on every flight. But nothing bad ever happened,” Cerimele said. “It was all fun. We just did our jobs, that’s all. It was a great experience.”

An airline that invests in quality.

In fact, Hooters Air attracts customers not only because of its low prices or the presence of girls in attractive uniforms, but also because of its distinctive quality. It began with a series of advertising campaigns focused on golf enthusiasts, leveraging its strength of over 100 golf tournaments held annually in its headquarters city – Myrtle Beach.

In addition, despite selling tickets at very competitive prices compared to its rivals, all seats on Hooters Air not only have ample legroom like business class, but are also upholstered in luxurious black leather.

And the most significant difference is the in-flight service. Unlike budget airlines that often cut services and sell additional meals and souvenirs to increase revenue, Hooters Air doesn't sell anything; in fact, they even provide free meals on flights longer than one hour.

These strengths quickly yielded positive results. "When operating at full capacity, Hooters Air easily brings 3,000 to 5,000 visitors to the Myrtle Beach area each week," shared Brad Dean, Myrtle's Chief Commercial Officer. "Hooters Air is not just an airline; it's the biggest community program I've ever seen. Mr. Brooks believes Myrtle Beach has the opportunity to develop into a major tourism and economic hub nationwide."

In addition, Hooters Air also generates significant revenue for the smaller regions where the airline operates, such as Gary Indiana Airport and the South Chicago area.

…But it still failed, resulting in a loss of $40 million.

Despite its positive economic contributions to many regions, Hooters Air ultimately ceased operations in 2006, just three years after its launch, with losses totaling $40 million. This failure also terminated the employment of over 350 employees, from pilots and flight attendants to operations engineers. Seven operating Boeing aircraft were also hastily sold to offset the losses.

Several reasons have been given, firstly, the aviation market is still reeling from the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and many customers prefer flying with major airlines for safety reasons. Regarding Hooters Air's provocative advertising campaign, many are beginning to question: Is this really an airline, or just a copycat brand with nothing but "goods"?

In addition, intense market competition meant that Hooters Air's ticket prices were quickly copied by established airlines with more destinations, such as Southwest, causing the young airline to quickly lose its crucial advantage.

Finally, there's the issue of fuel prices. From the time Hooters Air began operations until its bankruptcy, global fuel prices continuously rose, pushing financially weak airlines into extremely difficult situations.

"The airline industry is a mess," said Chairman Brooks. "It's true that Hooters has a lot of money, but that's not enough to fix the situation."

However, the failure of Hooters Air did not hinder the progress of its parent brand, Hooters. Hundreds of stores continue to operate successfully, pushing the value of the 40-year-old restaurant chain to hundreds of millions of dollars. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, Hooters remained strong and continued its business to this day, proving the enduring sales power of its "charm."

An overview - Photo: Internet