Airport cabs face repossession today

Paul Clinton

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- A Costa Mesa cab company on Tuesday moved

another step closer to losing its exclusive contract to serve the airport

when Ford Motor Credit Co. announced it would repossess the fleet at 3

p.m. today.

American Taxi could lose its 142-car fleet of natural gas-powered cabs

if a deal can’t be worked out with a prospective buyer, said Maryann

Cazzell, the company’s attorney.

American Taxi filed for bankruptcy in April. As a result, the

company’s managers have been trying to sell off the fleet to pay its

creditor.

If the cabs are repossessed, Airport Director Alan Murphy would hand

an interim contract to Yellow Cab of North Orange County, Taxi Systems

and Cabco Yellow, airport spokeswoman Ann McCarley said.

The three companies, operating as a joint venture known as John Wayne

Airport Yellow Cab Service, would be brought in to avoid an interruption

in service, McCarley said.

“If the repossession does take place, we’ll have the new cab company

online, ready to provide service to the passengers,” McCarley said.

Those companies would provide service at the airport for the term of

the six-month agreement. After that, the airport would open the bidding

for a permanent operator.

During the interim agreement, the airport would pay the joint venture

13 cents per arriving passenger or $39,000 each month, whichever is

higher.

In October, the airport logged 276,597 arriving passengers, which, at

13 cents a piece, would add up to $35,957.

American Taxi failed largely because the company used expensive,

cutting-edge natural gas-powered cars, Cazzell said. It was the only 100%

natural gas-powered fleet in the nation. When prices of the fuel rose,

however, the company began to struggle, Cazzell said.

The company, operating under the banner American Livery, became

embroiled in an ownership dispute earlier this year.

Over the Thanksgiving Day weekend, in a flurry of activity, two groups

submitted last-minute bids to buy the cars. But by Monday, the offers had

vaporized, Cazzell said.

“We have been working [on an 11th-hour deal],” Cazzell said. “We

haven’t closed the deal.”

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .