Who will be the next discount carrier to hit the US skies? The Bransonesque Virgin America? The Ryanair-esque ultra-no-frills Skybus? For sheer kitsch value, I’m rooting for Air Gumbo, an airline in the planning stages since 1998, whose slogan is “Louisiana’s Culture in the Sky.”

Their “gumbo jets” (their pun, not mine) are slated to be Canadair Regional Jets within the U.S., and 737s to Mexico and the Caribbean. And why not. Who doesn’t love an airline that flies nothing but cramped, relatively gas-guzzling regional jets around the country? (Oh, wait…)

And what about the cultural thing: After all, Delta long ago turned its back on its Mississippi Delta roots and the source of its name, so someone has to represent the bayou… And airlines that offer a “unique cultural experience” onboard do great, right? (Well…)

Air Gumbo claims to be a “one-frill” airline: As the name implies, they plan to offer gumbo on flights longer than an hour, or a lunchbox for shorter flights. They are also planning a premium meal option, for a fee, featuring “meals such as Crawfish Etouffee and Jambalaya as well as exotic gumbos, subject to seasonal availability, such as alligator, vension [sic], rabbit, duck, turkey, etc., or totally organic variations.”

Sounds tasty. I can only hope that this leads to other cuisine-themed airlines. Air Sabrett, out of New York?… Fare wars between Air Grinder and SkyHoagie?… Tandoor Express?… Pizzair?… Pie in the Sky?… (I’ll stop.)

(image; hat tip USAT)