By Lisa Shidler/Post-Tribune staff writer
Hooters Air has suspended service from the Gary/Chicago International Airport to Las Vegas until March, airport officials said.
Airport administrator Paul Karas said Hooters President Mark Peterson told him in the middle of the week that the airline planned to end the Las Vegas service temporarily because of seasonal issues, but that the airline intends to restart the service in March.
On the airline’s Web site, the last flight in December is slated for Monday and the first flight in March is on March 10.
Meanwhile, Hooters Air officials would not comment on this issue. Several phone messages from the Post-Tribune to Peterson during the past two weeks have not been returned.
A person from Hooters said the company’s only comment on the issue is a news release on its Web site. In that statement, the company announced it is eliminating service from the Greater Rockford Airport, but the statement does not mention service at Gary.
The company said in that statement that refunds will be made to customers on all affected flights through Hooters Air Reservations. Hooters has been servicing the Gary airport since June 2004 and started service to Las Vegas in June 2005.
Karas said he was told by Hooters officials that flights booked in December, January or February to Las Vegas will be refunded.
But that doesn’t help Joel Remaley, a Hobart man who was looking forward to seeing his daughter during Christmas.
His daughter lives in Las Vegas, and she bought tickets to fly home over the holiday and received an e-mail from the corporation saying her flight was canceled.
“She’s not going to be able to come home because all of the other seats (on other airlines) are filled up,’’ Remaley said.
Late Friday, Karas said he spoke with Hooters officials again Friday evening and they said they might reconsider the suspension, but no final decision had been made.
“The saga continues,’’ Karas said.
Karas said the airline also has told him that it plans to start service to the Atlanta airport in March.
“I talked to Mark Peterson on Wednesday,’’ Karas said. “And we were told they’re going to Atlanta in March. They’re also thinking about more frequencies to St. Petersburg.”
He said the airline told him it is suspending flights to Las Vegas so it can increase its charter service.