America West Says It Has Several Potential Investors : Airlines: The last carrier in bankruptcy is studying $150-million offer from a New York group.

America West Airlines Inc. said Monday that several potential backers, including a New York investment group, are considering investing in the regional carrier as it tries to emerge from bankruptcy.

“We’ve had several parties who have been considering investment prospects in America West,” Chief Executive Michael Conway said in a telephone interview.

America West previously said it had received a preliminary offer from the New York-based Steinhardt Group to invest up to $250 million in the company, which is the last major airline left in bankruptcy. (Continental and TWA both emerged from bankruptcy earlier this year.)

The group, led by money manager Michael Steinhardt, last week offered to put at least $150 million in America West in exchange for up to 80% of the company’s voting securities.

The Steinhardt Group of investment funds manages more than $5 billion in equity.

The offer is subject to certain conditions and agreement on a plan of reorganization, America West said.

Both Conway and America West Chairman W.A. Franke said they were still poring over the Steinhardt offer and that it would be some time before they would be able to elaborate on its conditions.

“We’re obviously delighted that they’ve shown this level of interest,” Conway said.

Franke said the Steinhardt Group’s proposal would not restrict other bids by a Feb. 10 deadline set by U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Phoenix.

The Phoenix-based carrier has until that date to accept investment offers or come up with its own plan of reorganization.

America West officials would not identify the other parties that are interested in investing in it.

The parties reportedly include United Airlines, the second-largest U.S. carrier. Franke would not say whether United, a unit of UAL Corp., is still in the running. However, Franke said United is probably concentrating more on its planned employee buyout.

Another interested group, AWA Partners--which included the Pritzker family’s Hyatt Air Subco Inc. and another group led by the investment firm Wertheim Schroder & Co.--dropped a $150-million proposal last week.

America West, which entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June, 1991, has made a comeback this year.

The carrier posted a third-quarter profit of $14.4 million, or 54 cents a share, contrasted with a loss of $70.8 million, or $2.97 a share, in the third quarter of 1992.

The airline made the profit at a time when losses could be expected. The U.S. airline industry as a whole is likely to lose more than $1 billion in 1993, according to the Air Transport Assn.

Earlier this month, America West reported that its load factor, or percentage of airplane seats filled with paying passengers, jumped 8.2% in November to 66.7%, from 58.5% in November last year.