brokenwrench
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Astar, Tampa Battle over Future Use of Empty US Airways Hangar
The future of an empty 150,000-square-foot airport hangar at Tampa International Airport is up in the air after a deal with Alabama-based Pemco World Air Services fell through. And Miami-based Astar Air Cargo has accused the hangar’s owner— the Hillsborough County Aviation
Authority — of shoving it aside as a possible tenant for the facility, previously owned by US Airways. “We offered a proposal to take over the entire hangar,†said Steve Rossum, the company’s executive VP and general counsel. “We don’t have a hangar presently. Ultimately, we
think there’s an opportunity to move into the heavy maintenance side of the business, not only for our own fleet of 43 aircraft, but the potential to do work for other people.â€
The aviation authority was originally approached about the hangar — empty since 2003 — by
Pemco, then Astar in June 2007, said spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan. “We sent them both letters with a request for information, along with some questions,†she said. The authority created a process to negotiate exclusively with Pemco that Astar did not think was fair, said Rossum. “The authority thought that Pemco was a better deal for them, but we thought it was a big risk, as they were being spun off from the company,†he stated. “And after the deal fell through, we
weren’t given the chance to offer our own bid on the facility.â€
But aviation authority Executive Director Louis Miller sent a letter to Astar’s law firm Dec. 6 encouraging the company to put in a bid to the facility. “Going forward, there is no bidding process. Anyone who contacts us, we will give them the detail,†Geoghagan added.
“We’ve been in negotiations with other jurisdictions, including Daytona Beach and Gainsborough, for hangar facilities,†said Rossum. “We’re not whiners. We are profitable
and reputable company whose CEO, John Dasburg, is respected in the industry. I’m surprised by the treatment we’ve gotten from Tampa.†The letter from Miller is a face- saving effort, said Rossum. “They’ve made a lot of public statements in the past about not negotiating with us, but we’re willing to talk,†he said. “We don’t know if we can ultimately be successful in Tampa after all that has happened.â€
benet_wilson@aviationweek.com
The future of an empty 150,000-square-foot airport hangar at Tampa International Airport is up in the air after a deal with Alabama-based Pemco World Air Services fell through. And Miami-based Astar Air Cargo has accused the hangar’s owner— the Hillsborough County Aviation
Authority — of shoving it aside as a possible tenant for the facility, previously owned by US Airways. “We offered a proposal to take over the entire hangar,†said Steve Rossum, the company’s executive VP and general counsel. “We don’t have a hangar presently. Ultimately, we
think there’s an opportunity to move into the heavy maintenance side of the business, not only for our own fleet of 43 aircraft, but the potential to do work for other people.â€
The aviation authority was originally approached about the hangar — empty since 2003 — by
Pemco, then Astar in June 2007, said spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan. “We sent them both letters with a request for information, along with some questions,†she said. The authority created a process to negotiate exclusively with Pemco that Astar did not think was fair, said Rossum. “The authority thought that Pemco was a better deal for them, but we thought it was a big risk, as they were being spun off from the company,†he stated. “And after the deal fell through, we
weren’t given the chance to offer our own bid on the facility.â€
But aviation authority Executive Director Louis Miller sent a letter to Astar’s law firm Dec. 6 encouraging the company to put in a bid to the facility. “Going forward, there is no bidding process. Anyone who contacts us, we will give them the detail,†Geoghagan added.
“We’ve been in negotiations with other jurisdictions, including Daytona Beach and Gainsborough, for hangar facilities,†said Rossum. “We’re not whiners. We are profitable
and reputable company whose CEO, John Dasburg, is respected in the industry. I’m surprised by the treatment we’ve gotten from Tampa.†The letter from Miller is a face- saving effort, said Rossum. “They’ve made a lot of public statements in the past about not negotiating with us, but we’re willing to talk,†he said. “We don’t know if we can ultimately be successful in Tampa after all that has happened.â€
benet_wilson@aviationweek.com
