Hooters Air calls it quits

After three years of service, Myrtle Beach’s Hooters Air will cease its public charter flights April 17 and will run only private charters out of Winston Salem, N.C.

Bob Brooks, the airline’s founder, and its president, Mark Peterson, said Hooters Air will serve large groups such as sports teams and tour groups, which was the original business model for Pace Airlines. Brooks acquired Pace in December 2002.

Hooters Air’s departure could affect prices at Myrtle Beach International Airport and that means fewer flights for local residents and tourists.

“There is no good news to reduction of air service, particularly direct flights,” said Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. “In the case of Hooters, there’s a double whammy. Fewer flights mean fewer people coming to the destination.”

And losing the low-cost airline could translate into an increase in ticket prices, Dean said.

Other airlines will likely pick up the slack, said Bob Kemp, director of Myrtle Beach International.

Source: Kathleen Vereen Dayton, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, SC
with staff writer Garrison Wells