Rumor is that the contract comes due every couple of years and Atlas underbid Evergreen this time round. Atlas 747 dreamlifter ops. to start this summer.
Interesting that you assume it was underbid by Atlas. MANY factors involved, like Del Smiths age, the financial stability of Evergreen, the fact that Boeing is in a bind with the -8's being late. That's just the things we see on the surface, no telling what could be going on behind the scenes at Evergreen that made this happen, if it is indeed, true.