ATA Airlines

This article is about the defunct American airline. For the present-day Iranian airline, see ATA Airlines (Iran).
ATA Airlines
IATA ICAO Call sign
TZ AMT AMTRAN
FoundedFebruary 1973 (1973-02)
(as Ambassadair)
Ceased operationsApril 3, 2008 (2008-04-03)
HubsIndianapolis
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer programATA Travel Awards
Subsidiaries
Parent companyGlobal Aviation Holdings (2002–2008)
HeadquartersIndianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Key peopleJ. George Mikelsons (founder)

ATA Airlines, Inc., formerly known as American Trans Air and commonly referred to as ATA, was an American low-cost scheduled service and charter airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana.[1] ATA operated scheduled passenger flights throughout the U.S. mainland and Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Portugal as well as military and commercial charter flights around the world.

In its early days, the airline flew charters on a worldwide basis and had bases in Chicago, Detroit, New York, Indianapolis, Oakland, and Milwaukee. Later, when it entered scheduled service, the airline maintained focus cities at Chicago Midway International Airport, Honolulu International Airport, and Oakland International Airport.

The airline's parent company – New ATA Holdings, Inc. (the successor to ATA Holdings Inc., which was also once known as Amtran) – later changed its name to Global Aero Logistics, Inc. and purchased World Air Holdings, Inc. for $315 million in an all-cash transaction with the financial backing of the investment firm, MatlinPatterson. World Air Holdings, Inc. owned and operated North American Airlines and World Airways as two separate US-certified air carriers. ATA was North America's largest charter airline, and until its shutdown, it transported more troops for the United States military than any other commercial airline.

On April 2, 2008, ATA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[2] ATA then announced it was ceasing all services, effective 4:00 am EDT on Thursday, April 3, 2008,[3] citing the unexpected loss of a major contract for its military charter business, as a subcontractor of FedEx Express,[4] along with recent increases in jet fuel prices.[5] Red-eye flights in the air at the time of the announcement proceeded to their destinations. Flight 4586 from Honolulu to Phoenix was the last ATA flight, departing almost two hours late at 12:10 am (HST)[6] arriving April 3, 2008, at 8:48 am (MST).

Southwest Airlines owns and retains all ownership of the operating certificate and all assets held by ATA Airlines including trademarks, logos, etc. These were purchased for $7.5 million by Southwest while ATA was operating under bankruptcy protection.[7]

  1. ^ "ATA Facts". Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  2. ^ "ATA Airlines Chapter 11 Petition" (PDF). PacerMonitor. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  3. ^ Matthews, Jim. "ATA Airlines Shuts Down". Aviation Week. April 3, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
  4. ^ Raine, George; DeBare, Ilana; Baker, Ilana. "ATA bankruptcy strands many fliers in Oakland". San Francisco Chronicle. April 4, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
  5. ^ "ATA Airlines Files for Chapter 11 and Discontinues Operations Following Cancellation of Key Military Charter Agreement" (Press release). ATA Airlines. April 3, 2008. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2008.
  6. ^ Ohira, Rod (April 3, 2008). "Shocked Honolulu workers got last ATA flight out". USA Today. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  7. ^ "ATA Airlines – Formerly Known As American Trans Air". AVStop.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2014.