In case you still retain your sense of humor about elbowing through security checks, squishing onto a plane and flying about the chaotic skies, there’s a new airline in town that might well appeal to folk who like, um, buxom women. Hooters, the restaurant chain known for its sexy waitresses and PG-rated approach to burger joints, has purchased a small charter airline out of North Carolina and in about 10 days begins flights on Hooters Air.

There’s a funny column by Scott McCartney about this in The Wall Street Journal where my favorite quote is: “Now here comes Hooters Air, which will begin flying Boeing Co. 737s between Atlanta and Myrtle Beach, S.C., on March 6 after buying a small North Carolina charter company. New York service will soon follow. Each plane will have three flight attendants to meet Federal Aviation Administration regulations, and two “Hooters girls” to do whatever Hooters girls do — serve chicken wings, I guess.”

The launch of Hooters Air opens up all sorts of questions. For example: will Expedia cross-list Hooters Air, and if so, will Expedia have a “child-safe” area on their flight booking system? Will they allow women to breast-feed on the flight?

More seriously, if they can get a license from the FAA to translate their “delightfully tacky yet unrefined” image to an airline, can topless, bottomless, belly-dancing, and S&M flights be far behind? (uh, so to speak!) Hmm…. imagine what this could do to air travel…. it might well be what’s needed to pull United out of its terrible slump, among other things!!

Of course, it should be no surprise that the WSJ doesn’t agree: “Glitz, glamour and skimpy clothing aren’t going to help airlines recover from their financial problems. Carriers need to improve service by reducing hassles, in the airport and on the airplane. They need to offer fair value and understandable rules. They need cheerful workers, even at a time when they are asking — or telling — employees to take pay cuts… We don’t need flirtatious skies. We need profitable ones.”