Atlas Air Joyride...how long will it last?
Atlas Air has recently launched a new product called ' The Atlas Air Partnership Programme'. In brief...they are launching dedicated freighters connecting Latin America North America Europe Asia Africa and the Middle East. This will be achieved by opening 3 new hubs in Anchorage, Liege and Miami.
Let's see..that makes about 6 dedicated B747-400F's operating more than 350 block hours a month. How they do it? Create partnership with ACMI customers such as TNT to get traffic rights on the route. Ok...fine, TNT is sourcing part of the freight. Apart from TNT they are also exploiting traffic route authorities from Polar.
What it does? and what it will do ?
a//It allows a US carrier to hub its operation in the centre of the European Union. Yet have not seen any reactions in the press...
b//Atlas, through its customer base is adopting a 'hop on or get off policy' tying its customers to Block Space Agreement on 6 months contract. Humm, isn't that common carriage?
c//it will create havoc among other scheduled cargo carriers. What are other cargo airlines going to do about this....just let it happen? I wonder what Cargolux, AF, BA, are going to do about this...
d//Atlas Air's plan is to destroy the wet lease concept, compete against its own customer base.
e// Such a 'global reach programme, suggest that Atlas is broke and want's a quick buck out of this.
f// This is a personal view, however a perfect recipe to go bust.
h// Atlas, is something like 10 years old now and should stick to what they were created to do. Would Micheal Chowdry have ever considered swicthing from the wetlease mareket to common carriage??
Your reactions welcome, can anyone see this work?