GAI Air, LLC and its affiliates, owned by Chennault Aviation Academy founder Aaron Wang, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Texas following a court judgment in a three-year business dispute. Wang filed for bankruptcy on Oct. 24. His attorney, Field Hudgens of the Hudgens Law Firm in Houston, said the school, which is not part of the filing, continues to operate without interruption.
“Mr. Wang is doing a good job with his business model. He still has his students, he still has his teachers and everything seems to be going good,” Hudgens told the Houston Chronicle.
He added that Kachina Air, one of Wang’s companies under GAI Air, retains its FAA certificate and remains active through the reorganization process.
According to TheStreet, Kachina Air, which operates under GAI Air, is part of the bankruptcy. The company, established in 2020 and based in Conroe, operates a small fleet of two Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain aircraft used for regional and cargo operations. Rising fuel and operational costs were cited as contributing factors.
The bankruptcy follows a state court ruling in June that awarded Creek Crossing Management LLC $2.7 million in its claims against Wang and his companies related to a failed logistics venture. The venture, Radius Flex Logistics, was launched in 2021 between Creek Crossing and Kachina Air to provide air cargo delivery services nationwide, but dissolved within a year.
Wang has appealed the judgment, asserting that his companies have negative value, while Creek Crossing co-attorney Eric Yollick filed a motion to dismiss the bankruptcy, alleging it was made “in bad faith.”
“The only reason [Wang] sought bankruptcy protection is to avoid having to account for the proceeds of a recent sale of aircraft and to avoid the burden of suspending enforcement of a judgment pending appeal,” Yollick’s filing stated.
No action has so far been taken on the motion.
Despite the proceedings, Wang said his focus remains on his flight school. Chennault Aviation, also based in Conroe, Texas, operates out of Chennault Airfield, which the company owns.
The school provides pilot and aircraft maintenance training, maintenance services, and airfield operations. Established in recognition of Brig. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault and the World War II Flying Tigers, the company maintains ties to the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum and, according to its website, continues to support aviation education initiatives in the Houston area.
Chennault Airfield serves as the headquarters for the company’s training and maintenance operations. The company acquired the former Cut & Shoot Airport in 2022, transforming the former cropduster strip into a private airfield designed to support flight training and general aviation activity.
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