Atlas Air

Atlas Air, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, is a cargo airline, passenger charter airline, and aircraft lessor based in Purchase in Harrison, New York.[3] The airline was named after Atlas, a Titan in Greek mythology. The symbol on the tail of their aircraft is a golden man carrying a golden world. With a total combined fleet of 55 Boeing 747 aircraft, Atlas is the world's largest operator of this fleet type. In 2019, the airline had 3,587 employees and operates across 425 destinations in 119 countries.[4]

Not to be confused with AtlasGlobal, Atlas Van Lines, or AIR Worldwide.
This article is about the cargo airline. For Massive Attack song, see Heligoland (album). For other air topics, see Atlas (disambiguation).
Atlas Air
IATA ICAO Callsign
5Y GTI GIANT
Founded1992 (1992)
AOC #UIEA784U[1]
Hubs
Fleet size118
Parent companyAtlas Air Worldwide Holdings
Traded asNASDAQ: AAWW
S&P 600 Component
Headquarters2000 Westchester Avenue, Purchase, New York, US
Key peopleJohn W. Dietrich (CEO, President)
William J. Flynn (Chairman)
Revenue US$2.739B (FY 2019)[2]
Operating income US$293.1M (FY 2019)[2]
Net income US$139.6.1M (FY 2019)[2]
Total assets US$5.385B (FY 2019)[2]
Total equity US$1.792B (FY 2019)[2]
Employees3,587 (2019)
Websitewww.atlasair.com

History
Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F

Atlas Air began operations in 1992. The airline's founder, Michael Chowdry,[5] started by leasing aircraft to other airlines on an Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance (ACMI) contract basis. The first customer, China Airlines, contracted one airplane to start ACMI service in 1993. By 1995, Atlas Air began trading publicly and in 1997, Atlas placed an order for ten new Boeing 747-400F aircraft. Orders for another two 747-400Fs were placed in 1998.

On January 30, 2004, Atlas Air Worldwide entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In July 2004, the parent company completed its restructuring plan and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[6]

In March 2010, Atlas Air was awarded a nine-year contract for the operation of the Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF) 'Dreamlifter' for transporting aircraft parts to Boeing from suppliers around the world. It commenced operation in September 2010 under a CMI (Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) contract.[7] In 2011, Atlas Air took the first North American delivery of the Boeing 747-8 Freighter (Boeing 747-8F).

In September 2012, Atlas Air renewed a training contract with the United States Air Force to continue to provide training for the pilots of Air Force One. The contract also provides training for the Presidential Airlift Group for a five-year period.[8]

On April 7, 2016, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings purchased Southern Air for $110 million in an all-cash deal. The transaction included Worldwide Air Logistics Group, Inc. and its two operating subsidiaries, Southern Air, Inc. and Florida West International Airways, Inc.[9]

On May 5, 2016, Amazon.com and Atlas Air announced a deal for Amazon.com to lease 20 Boeing 767s in order to fuel growth of its new Amazon air freight service, branded as Amazon Air. The deal also warranted Amazon the ability to buy up to 30% stake in the company over the next seven years. Under the agreement, Atlas Air Inc. would provide aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance for a period of seven years.[10] This move came after Amazon's similar deal with Air Transport Services Group for 20 aircraft, also to be branded under Amazon Air.

In March 2017, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings shut down Florida West International Airways and cancelled the operating certificate.[11]

In January 2021, Atlas Air agreed to purchase an additional four 747-8 freighters. They will be the last 4 747 to the built. These are to be delivered in 2022, the same year that Boeing plans to shut the 747 production program.

Operations
An Atlas Air Boeing 747-8F lines up on Runway 27 at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as one of the airline's 747-400Fs lands on Runway 18C

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings is made up of Atlas Air, Inc., Polar Air Cargo., Southern Air Inc., and Titan Aviation Leasing. The airline headquarters are in Purchase, New York and it operates flights on an ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) and air charter basis for some of the world's leading airlines, express operators, freight forwarders, charter brokers, global shippers and the U.S. Military, along with a dry-leasing freighter aircraft. Atlas Air has global operations established in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America.

Crew bases are located at Miami International Airport, New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Chicago O'hare International Airport, Seattle Paine Field, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, and Anchorage International Airport..[12]

Destinations
Loading cargo in Miami

Atlas Air operates globally, with destinations throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Specific destinations vary due to changing customer's needs and seasonal trends.

Fleet

As of September 2020, Atlas Air operates the following aircraft:[13][14][15][16][17]

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
F C Y Total
Passenger Fleet
Boeing 747-400 7 1 10 169 36 215 Used for VIP Service
— 23 505 528
Boeing 767-300ER 5 — — — 255 255 N640GT, N641GT, N645GT, N649GT, N662GT
Cargo Fleet
Boeing 737-300F 1 —
Cargo
 Operated by Titan Aviation Holdings
Boeing 737-400F 1 —
Cargo
 Operated by Southern Air
Boeing 737-800BCF 5 3
Cargo
 Operate for Amazon Air
Boeing 747-400BCF 2 —
Cargo
Boeing 747-400BDSF 2 —
Cargo
Boeing 747-400ERF 2 —
Cargo
Boeing 747-400F 20 —
Cargo
6 Operated by Polar Air Cargo
3 Operate for Nippon Cargo Airlines[18]
Boeing 747-400LCF 4 —
Cargo
 Operate for Boeing
Boeing 747-8F 8 4
Cargo
 Atlas Air will receive the last 747 ever built, which will be built in 2022.
2 Operate for Qantas Freight[19]
Boeing 767-200BDSF 7 —
Cargo
 Operate for DHL Aviation
Boeing 767-300BCF 22 —
Cargo
Boeing 767-300BDSF
Boeing 777F 9 —
Cargo
 Operated by Southern Air
Total 118 8

Passenger service

In May 2010, Atlas Air began operating a premium passenger private charter service for the U.S.-Africa Energy Association (USAEA) in conjunction with SonAir. The charter service consisted of two customized Boeing 747-400 aircraft provided by SonAir. The aircraft were laid out to serve 189 passengers and consisted of a three-class configuration. The charter service, which became known as the "Houston Express", including three dedicated weekly non-stop flights between Houston and Luanda, Angola. Due to low global oil prices, demand diminished and the Houston Express ceased operations.

As of June 2019, Atlas Air operates four Boeing 747 passenger aircraft and six Boeing 767 passenger aircraft for commercial and military passenger charters.[20]

Aircraft leasing

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings owns and operates Titan Aviation Holdings, an aircraft dry-leasing company.[21] Through Titan Aviation, Atlas Air currently owns 17 aircraft for dry-leasing - six Boeing 777 freighters, one Boeing 757 freighter, eight Boeing 767 freighters (leased to parent Atlas Air), one Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft, and one Boeing 737-300 freighter.[22]

Incidents and accidents

On January 24, 2005, Atlas Air Flight 8995 was flying from Dubai International Airport to Düsseldorf Airport. During landing at Düsseldorf, the Boeing 747-212BSF (N808MC) overran the runway due to heavy snowfall on the runway. The aircraft was written off.[23]

In 2006, Amnesty International released a report on extraordinary rendition which found that Atlas Air was one of the airlines which was alleged to have been used by the US government for rendering detainees.[24] This was also the basis for the Atlas Air track at the Heligoland album.

On February 2, 2008, an Atlas Air Boeing 747-2D7B was scheduled to fly from Lome Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. During takeoff, cargo broke loose, causing damage to the bulkhead. The aircraft (N527MC) was written off.[25]

In early 2010, an Atlas Air aircraft was involved in a safety and maintenance incident. In February, the cover of part of the flap assembly on a Boeing 747 detached from the aircraft, which was in the process of landing in Miami, Florida. On 17 May, a similar incident occurred; in this case, part of the inboard flaps on the right-wing of a Boeing 747 separated from the aircraft. Due to alleged improper maintenance practices, the US Federal Aviation Administration on 5 May proposed a roughly $500,000 fine against the airline.[26]

On November 21, 2013, a Boeing 747-409LCF operated by Atlas Air, registration N780BA, mistakenly landed at Colonel James Jabara Airport (KAAO), instead of the nearby McConnell Air Force Base (KIAB). The aircraft repositioned to KIAB the next day.[27]

In March 2016, an evacuation slide fell off of an Atlas Air 767 in the Mesa, Arizona area.[28]

On July 27, 2018, an Atlas Air Boeing 767-300, registration N641GT performing flight 5Y-8601 from Frankfurt/Hahn (Germany) to Portsmouth, NH (USA), landed on Portsmouth's runway 34 at 04:52L (08:52Z) but touched down hard. The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron. A post-flight inspection revealed creases around the fuselage and substantial damage to the aircraft. The NTSB rated this event as an accident.[29]

On February 23, 2019 at 12:45 CST, Atlas Air Flight 3591 crashed on approach to Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, killing all three people on board: two crew members and one "Jumpseat" rider.[30][31] The Boeing 767 cargo aircraft, en route from Miami, went down in Trinity Bay, near Anahuac, Chambers County, Texas, about 30 miles southeast of George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The aircraft was branded as Prime Air, operating for Amazon Air.[32]

On Sept. 5, 2020, an Atlas Air Boeing 767-300, N649GT, flying as GTI8585 from Honolulu to Guam suffered a right hand engine failure during the initial climb out of Honolulu International’s runway 08R. As a consequence of repeated compressor stalls/surges, the engine emitted bangs and streaks of flames, forcing the crew to declare an emergency. The aircraft stopped its climb at 2,000 feet while flying a long downwind leg for 08R. Then it climbed to 3,000 feet and got vectors for an ILS approach to runway 08L at Honolulu, where the aircraft safely landed about 30 minutes after take off.

References
  1. "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  2. "Atlas Air Worldwide Annual Report 2019" (PDF). annualreports.com. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  3. "Investor Information Archived 2011-08-07 at the Wayback Machine." Atlas Air. Retrieved on August 6, 2011. "AAWW Investor Relations 2000 Westchester Avenue Purchase, NY 10577-2543"
  4. http://www.atlasairworldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AAWW_AnnualReport19-digital.pdf
  5. Armbruster, William (January 24, 2001). "Atlas Air Founder Chowdry Killed in Plane Crash". The Journal of Commerce. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  6. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. p. 80.
  7. Ostrower, Jon (9 March 2010). "Dreamlifter deal part of 747-8 compensation to Atlas". Flight Global. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  8. "Atlas Air Worldwide Wins Air Force One Training Contract" (Press release). Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  9. Stynes, Tess (2016-01-19). "Atlas Air Agrees to Acquire Southern Air Holdings for $110 Million". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  10. Jamerson, Joshua. "Amazon Partners with Atlas Air Worldwide for Cargo Services". WSJ.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  11. "Florida West Int'l Airways formally shut down". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  12. "Atlas | Charter". Airline Pilot Central. 2012-05-10. Archived from the original on 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  13. "OUR CARGO FLEET". Atlas Air.
  14. "OUR PASSENGER FLEET". Atlas Air.
  15. "Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Fleet Details and History".
  16. "Atlas Air Fleet Details and History".
  17. "Polar Air Cargo Fleet Details and History".
  18. "Atlas Air Worldwide Announces Expanded 747-400F Service For Nippon Cargo Airlines". Atlas Air (Press release). 8 January 2019.
  19. "Atlas Air Worldwide Announces 747-8F ACMI Service For Qantas Freight". Atlas Air (Press release). 4 April 2019.
  20. https://www.atlasair.com/passenger-services/overview/
  21. "Titan Aviation Holdings - Home". www.titanaviationltd.com.
  22. "Atlas Air Corporate Fact Sheet" (PDF). Atlasair.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-13. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
  23. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-212BSF N808MC Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  24. https://web.archive.org/web/20121023131504/http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR51/051/2006/en/b543c574-fa09-11dd-b1b0-c961f7df9c35/amr510512006en.pdf
  25. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-2D7B N527MC Lome Airport (LFW)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  26. "Miami flight signals more mechanical issues for Atlas Air". Flightglobal.com. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  27. "Cargo jet takes off from Wichita on short runway". CNN.
  28. "Emergency escape slide from jumbo jet falls from plane and hits Mesa home".
  29. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bbab491=. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. "Atlas Air Confirms Family Assistance Established in Flight 3591 Accident". Atlas Air Worldwide. Atlas Air. 2019-02-24. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  31. Hughes, Trevor (2019-02-24). "Three confirmed dead after Amazon Prime Air cargo plane crash in Texas". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  32. Wise, Jeff (2019-03-20). "The Recent Deadly Boeing Crash No One Is Talking About". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
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