Eagle soaring with Scenic Airlines buyout

Thursday, Aug. 27, 1998 | 1:34 a.m.

Eagle Canyon Airlines of Las Vegas is positioning itself to handle more international visitors to the environmentally sensitive Grand Canyon with its $14 million acquisition of Scenic Airlines.

The deal, announced Wednesday, gives the Eagle Group 18 two-engine, 19-passenger Twin Otter planes -- 10 on lease -- and Scenic's hangar and office facilities at the North Las Vegas Air Terminal.

Eagle acquired Scenic from SkyWest Inc., a St. George, Utah, regional airline that will continue to fly commuter flights through McCarran International Airport as United Express.

Eagle chief executive officer Cliff Evarts said the acquisition, which will close when the Federal Aviation Administration issues an amended operating certificate to include Twin Otter planes, puts his company in a position to expand its scenic flights over the Grand Canyon. The FAA is expected to approve a new certificate within two months.

The Twin Otter is one of two aircraft deemed quiet enough to meet new environmental standards for flights over the Grand Canyon after 2004. Evarts said his company is gearing to meet the potential of flying more international visitors, one of the target niches identified in marketing campaigns by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

The LVCVA says 42 percent of all international visitors to Las Vegas also travel to the Grand Canyon and one-third of them use scenic flights. The LVCVA and the state have stepped up marketing campaigns for direct air service to McCarran International Airport from Asia, South America and Europe and Evarts hopes to capitalize on the potential higher numbers.

Evarts also said there would be no layoffs of Scenic's 242 employees, but that some consolidation of jobs would occur through attrition.

SkyWest will continue to operate Scenic's Scottsdale and Page, Ariz., operations. Two Twin Otters not included in the transaction will fly from Page.