Originally Posted by
Low & Slow
For the record, I'm starting a rumor based on logic - so in this industry you know it has no merit.
OK, Aloha filed chapter 11 (or is that chapter 22 the second time around?)
United bought a minority stake in Aloha in May of 2007, and has a seat on Aloha's board.
United announced that they are parking 15-20 737's, and Aloha operates 26 737's.
The question is: how serious is UAL about protecting their feed in the islands? Without Aloha, UAL is without intra-island connections.
....I'm just saying....
Agreed, it is a huge stretch on speculation, but looking past the parallel of equipment operated by both UAL and Aloha, there could be some interesting points.
What about this.....Gordon Bethune was (or still is??) on the Board for Aloha Airlines when he took seat in 2006. As of this year, Bethune is also a consultant and player with Pardus Capital Mgt which has a sizable interest in both UAL and DAL (As of Nov 2007, 7 million shares of DAL, and 5.6 million shares of UAL), thus Pardus initial support of a UAL/DAL marriage when this past round of merger mania first came on.
Looking at Bethune's "6 degrees" of attachment to the UAL and Aloha....It would be interesting to see if he would try and assist in fostering a deal on this topic.
Again, I am by no way saying this will happen, or that I have read any intel on the above.....just see it as interesting parallels following "Low & Slows" take.