Charter airline Champion Air going out of business

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Malko

Malko

Why…..? It’s so tiring. 🤙
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local charter company with niche charter biz has lost it's niche....

Charter airline Champion Air going out of business

By LIZ FEDOR, Star Tribune

Last update: March 31, 2008 - 2:28 PM
Champion Air, a Bloomington-based charter carrier, announced early this afternoon that it will go out of business on May 31.

Champion is losing its two biggest customers this year: MLT Vacations, a subsidiary of Northwest Airlines, and the National Basketball Association.

Management at the charter airline failed to attract new business to replace those large customers.

"Our business model is no longer viable in a world of $110 oil, a struggling economy and rapidly changing demand for services," Lee Steele, Champion's CEO, said today in a written statement.

Champion, which employs about 550 people, has been operating a fleet of three-engine Boeing 727s. Those planes take more fuel to operate than more modern aircraft.

The carrier was unable to attract investors to replace that 727 fleet.

Liz Fedor • 612-673-7709
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What is happening to this industry, everything is going down the drain and hitting the rock bottom.
I am starting to think whther being a pilot is the right path to choose, this is killing me. It has been four years that I completely took the opposite direction from what I am doing now and every single day i am questioning myself that did I do the right thing?
Skyway, Aloha and now Champion Air who's next? May God have mercy on their soul.

**** this really is depressing.
 
Aero_Engineer said:
What is happening to this industry, everything is going down the drain and hitting the rock bottom.
I am starting to think whther being a pilot is the right path to choose, this is killing me. It has been four years that I completely took the opposite direction from what I am doing now and every single day i am questioning myself that did I do the right thing?
Skyway, Aloha and now Champion Air who's next? May God have mercy on their soul.

**** this really is depressing.
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The airline always has many ups and downs. You just have to love aviation so much to be able to ride it out.
 
While VA, SX, B6 and Allegiant guys are riding ALPA jumpseats to and from work for free?

Why doesn't anyone else see the irony in this?
 
Velocipede said:
While VA, SX, B6 and Allegiant guys are riding ALPA jumpseats to and from work for free?

Why doesn't anyone else see the irony in this?
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Is there anything in the world that isn't a result of "the jumpseat wars...":rolleyes:
 
I can't believe you guys sometimes. You hope Skybus is the next to go? Regardless of what you think of the company and the politics involved those are fellow pilots with families and bills just like the rest of us. It makes me sick to hear you all say things like that.

Another good ALPA carrier goes? As if Champion had been non-ALPA it'd be good riddance? Give me a break.
 
SkiHigh2002 said:
I can't believe you guys sometimes. You hope Skybus is the next to go?
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Yes they are undercutting the industry.

SkiHigh2002 said:
Regardless of what you think of the company and the politics involved those are fellow pilots with families and bills just like the rest of us. It makes me sick to hear you all say things like that.
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What about the pilots at say Northwest who have to negotiate Airbus rates based on the pay at Virgin America. The Northwest pilots have bills to.

SkiHigh2002 said:
Another good ALPA carrier goes? As if Champion had been non-ALPA it'd be good riddance? Give me a break.
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Hardly the case. If SWA, Airtran, American, UPS, etc. goes I would have said the same thing
 
SkiHigh2002 said:
I can't believe you guys sometimes. You hope Skybus is the next to go?.
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Just because someone has a pilot's license doesn't automatically make them "brothers." Especially when they are contributing to the financial pain and suffering of those of us who are seeking to RAISE the standard of living in this industry.

And, yes, I hope Skybus is the next to go, too. And I also hope every single pilot on an interview board remembers them when they come looking for work.
 
Well....what are the pay rates at champion? If the Majors were still operating the same airplane, what would those rates be? :o
 
Absolutely ridiculous. Karma is an evil mistress. I will never wish that anyone would lose a job over my own views. To do so is to simply ask for the same in return.
 
They have asked for their own Karma.

Plus what other pilot jobs has you going to Costco for bottled water?
 
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