Atlas News

[fr8box]

A story from the latest Air Cargo World.

ATLAS HALTS MIAMI PROJECT

Amid layoffs and cost-cutting, Atlas Air is putting construction of its new maintenance hangar at Miami International Airport on hold.

Contractors for the cargo carrier had already laid the groundwork for the facility, situated on a 13-acre site where Eastern Airlines formerly had its headquarters.

Atlas said it would delay further work pending a one-year re-evaluation of the project.

Construction equipment that would have been used to build the new facility is still sitting on the site. The project was scheduled for completion in October, 2002.

The carrier laid off 85 of its 177 ground employees in Miami after furloughing 48 of it 188 crew members in Miami, part of broader cutbacks by the airline following a period of extraordinarily rapid growth.

Atlas began operating with six freighter aircraft in 1994. By 1997 it reached 17 and now boasts a fleet of 37 planes, but last week it decided to lay up six aircraft due to the dramatic slowdown in demand for maindeck cargo capacity from the airlines that it serves. Atlas flies for other airlines under lease agreements where it provides the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance.

The maintenance hangar was designed to accommodate three 747 freighters at a time.

Earlier this year Atlas won the rights to operate 10 flights a week to Brazil, but the carrier apparently has chosen not to exercise all of those rights. Vicki Foster, a spokeswoman at Atlas headquarters in Purchase, N.Y., said the U.S. Department of Transportation allowed it to fly to three cities - Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Manaus. The carrier also asked for authority to serve Brasilia, Recife, Puerto Allegre, Belem, Belo Horizonte and Salvador de Bahia.

"I don't know why we didn't receive that authority," Foster said, adding that Atlas has petitioned DOT for the right to serve additional cities "so we can do a broader reach for cargo."

- By William Armbruster

Probably not a good time to strike!

[hacker]

"on a 13-acre site where Eastern Airlines formerly had its headquarters."

Does this mean the old EA building has already been demolished? Probably means the fountain has gone too then, famously turned off as part of the (Borman??)Eastern austerity drive.

[411A]

Eastern and Atlas....two completely different airlines and yet....same pilot thinking (?) process.

[fr8box]

Yet another article about the state of some of the cargo companies today. This one from: PlaneBusiness Banter
Volume 5, Issue 26
June 26, 2001
Holly Hegeman, Editor and Publisher

Atlas Air (CGO:NYSE), meanwhile, continues to sink slowly in the West. Or East. Depending upon which route they are flying. Shares of the ACMI freight carrier were down another 23% last week, closing at $15.08. Funny, the company issued a release saying that they intended on maintaining delivery dates for four new Boeing (BA:NYSE) 747-400's. But if the intent of the release was to reassure investors, I am afraid it had the opposite effect. Worried that the airline is going to drown in too much capacity, given the company's recent comments, investors shed shares of the company like a worn-out fur coat…

…And finally, speaking of Nasdaq-related issues, the folks at World Airways (WLDA:Nasdaq) are hanging on by their fingernails again. The airline announced last Friday that Nasdaq has once again given them a produce or get lost decree. In other words, Nasdaq has told the airline that its stock price has failed to meet the minimum $1.00 share price for at least 30 consecutive trading days.

The airline has until September 18th to meet the price requirements as established by Nasdaq, or the airline can be delisted from the Nasdaq Small Cap Market.

As part of the release, World CEO Hollis Harris said that he is confident the airline is going to make a profit for both the third and fourth quarter of this year.
.............................................

Seems like a lot of bets on the third and fourth quarters of this year. Let's hope it happens!

[ironbutt57]

Without MC things are not so good...

[411A]

.....and especially with his hand-picked management in charge. Suspect it will end up like Comair, reasonable offer turned down, short strike, the acceptance of that same offer with little if any improvement. These guys (and Atlas) are just not "big enough" for anyone to care.

[Roadtrip]

We'll see if Atlas' customers are willing to have AAMT default on it's contracts for a month or two. When there's millions of metric tons of freight sitting on the ramp around the world getting rained on, we'll see if China Air, Emirates, cares. We'll also get to see if GSS/AACS or whatever they call themselves today, will scab or not. Going to a strike would be suicidal for AAMT.

[fr8box]

Unfortunately, in the heat of labor negotiations, rationality doesn't always prevail. I agree, a strike would be suicidal for the Atlas crews. As far as cargo sitting around the world, I can think of a dozen carriers that would be more than willing to fly it for them at some great rates.

[DownIn3Green]

The EAL HQ building is (sadly) gone.

[CargoRat2]

Dear Roadtrip, without wanting to start a slagging match, I'd contend that there are no "millions of tons gettting rained on" right now. That is the bloody problem in the -F business at the moment.

------------------
rgds Rat

[LimeyAK]

Hey 411,

What the F**K is your beef with the Atlas Pilots?

If you are management masqurading as a low life pilot then you've got it licked mate, but if you are as you seem, a sad angry little person with nothing better to do than scan the forums waiting for an Atlas pilot to say something, then hide behind your pen name and critisize their every word while they try and better their life then shame on you, you are either NOT the professional pilot you claim to be or you are a scab, which one is it?

I'm waiting.....

[Engineer]

LimeyAK
Is 411a not entitled to an opinion no matter if it is in disagreement with your assessment of the situation.

Surely name calling will not achieve any ultimate goals just exacerbates the situation

[411A]

LimeyAK---
Management pilot. And by the way, in case you had not noticed, the airfreight business is in the toilet. Not the time to strike.
Don't suppose it will deter the Atlas pilots though. Blind ALPA "faith" once again.

[zeny kastelein]

Hey yooz guys,

Go ahead and strike please! This outfit is
ridden with greedy, evil, bangybottoms!!
I would love to see this mess grind to a halt. Atlas pilots (the one's who actually fly), bust their butt on a daily basis.
20 hour duty days are the norm and the bigwigs are stalling in nailing out a contract. They don't give a blank about
anything except their own fat wallets.
8 VP's, 30 Directors, 50 Managers, this place
is top heavy with See-More-Do-Less's!!!!
A 20 Million !st Quarter profit and they go and slough off 105 crewmembers and 200 ground workers. What a bunch of cowards!!
I'm gonna refer to (name removed) from now on as
Courage the Cowardly Dog. Grow some pills
you life-sucking parasite! Atlas line
pilots are the best! Those Chief pilots who sit behind their desks and criticize all
they survey can go scratch. Get out of the
office and blow the stink off ya! Hey now!!

Do not explicitly name people in here unless you are naming yourself in the process, please.

Sick Squid
Runours and News Moderator



[This message has been edited by Sick Squid (edited 30 June 2001).]

[Huck]

In this great free nation of ours, you strike when the government gives you permission.

You really think Atlas/Comair waited until the worst airline climate in 10 years to walk? A contract is a 3-4 year process, with your right to withhold your labor only granted at the bitter end.

[LimeyAK]

Boy oh boy, thanks for the education Mr"Management Pilot", I had no idea about a slide in the economy, I'd better rush down to my local strike center and tell those furloughees that we have to wait until YOU tell us its ok to walk, as you are undoubtably in the know on such issues.

My beef is you seem to have a real sore spot on your posterior for Atlas pilots, haven't heard a peep from you regarding the Cathay pilots, or the mechanics and flight attendants at various carriers that are threatening industrial action soon.
Or are they well within their rights?,
do they not need their head examined?(as you like to put it) to have a work action in the current economic climate?.
Please, as Mr "Engineer" pointed out(BTW LOVE having my name highlighted, really has me quaking in my shoes, did you learn that from the GUV?) this is a public forum, spread some of your profound knowledge around, I'm sure the Cathay Boys and Girls will hang on your every word, don't just reserve your sour opinion for us, because it is readily apparent that you have more than enough to go around.

[411A]

LimeyAK---
I rake the CX guys over the coals a lot, just have a look in the HKG forum. At least THEY have an UP market in which to strike INTO. As I have mentioned before, strike while the iron is HOT, not when it is stone cold. The RESULTS will be much more successful.

[Ignition Override]

Solo un poco.

[This message has been edited by Ignition Override (edited 02 July 2001).]

[StbdD]

So CX is striking in an "up" market and Atlas is not huh? Since Atlas operates in an exclusively international arena, exactly as CX does, and in fact flys CX cargo how does that work?

Before we submerge into a discussion of the differences between cargo and pax ops allow me to point out that most airlines make much more money on payload in their bellies than the pax in their seats. Therefore most if not all markets are in fact cargo markets.

Good luck to the Atlas aircrew. It IS a tough time to strike but mostly because Atlas management chose to make it so. It's rather difficult to believe that Atlas is in such supposedly dire financial straits after so many consecutive "record quarters" (including the last full one if I'm not mistaken). It is further interesting to observe that although Aircrew have been laid-off at an approximate 15% rate, no management cuts have occured. That the timing of these cuts had anything to do with market trends is questionable at best. Rather, the fact that contract negotiations have entered the compensation phase might be more germane.

Atlas crews are currently payed at slightly better than domestic commuter aircrew wages while Atlas management is payed on roughly the same scale as their counterparts at United Airlines. One wonders if the financial crisis Atlas management claims is merely that they MAY have to reduce their ridiculous salaries and bonuses to pay the aircrew a fair wage.

Is it just me or does it sound a little strange that while Atlas management's negotiating position is "We aren't a major airline so you can't expect your wages to be equivalent to the norm for those who fly 747s on these routes" ..... management continues to cash their major international airline paychecks. WTF over.

Oh by the way.... management has NOT taken any pay cuts during these supposedly trying financial circumstances requiring layoffs of other employees. Imagine that.

Again, good luck folks. Park them if you have to, we'll get you home.

[The Guvnor]

I agree with zeny kastelein - a company the size of Atlas should have no more than 40 admin personnel. Keeping things tight in all departments is essential to survival in the present market.

[GlueBall]

Subtle and somewhat less confrontational pilot job actions would be to adopt the "Euro Method:" Coordinate multiple 24 and 48 hour work stoppages system wide. Management will be unable to ignore the collective bargaining process very long.
And no airline can sustain profitable operations with scab pilots.

[Move_It]

To all of you brave Atlas Crewmembers

The USS Atlas is sinking, and instead of manning the life boats, the Captain (AAMT) and crew (Pilots) are fighting over the color of the wall paper.

Look around boys and girls, your company is failing, and you lost some very important current and future contracts these last few months. I dont think that MC would have just let this thing die like your current CEO is. MC would be out there in the world drumming up business like mad!!! Hell, he made Atlas work DURING an economic slow down!!! Your current management team are at HOME doing what they were hired for and what they know best, busting unions. Nobody is drumming up business, well, your marketing team is, whoever they are.

The finder of new business is gone. The grower of an empire is no more. All that is left is Union busters and evil people with proven records of hurting people and destroying companies.

Sell Mortimer, Sell!!!

[fanman]

Lorenzo is alive and well, along with his management team at Atlas. Atlas looks more like Eastern airlines every day!
Can you say "move those assets"and run with the bucks. Say it ain't so.

[411A]

Some are just beginning to wake up, wonder what took so long? If this keeps up they will have to sell the BBJ.......

[Po Boy]

Hey 411A,

They got rid of the BBJ shortly after MC's departure............ :rolleyes:

[This message has been edited by Po Boy (edited 04 July 2001).]

[Hunter58]

Po Boy

really? So why was it seen somewhere in Europe just a mere 3 weeks ago with some Atlas top-shots in it?

Some people tell me they would like to sell it, but find no buyer. The thing with high priced, customized business jets is, that you cannot sell them easily, only at a huge discount, as the next owner might not like the interior. And to change that, it takes a lot of money. SO you're better off waiting for yur new airplane and have it furbished that buy a 'used' one and pay double interiors...

------------------
There's nothing like a three-holer...

[Po Boy]

Hunter58,411A,GUV, and all the other know it alls!!!!!

Where in Europe was this BBJ seen?, and which Atlas big shots were on board?

A couple of months back the company did announce that they were getting rid of the BBJ. I checked the Atlas website this morning,and under the question & answer forum, a crewmember asked the company what was the status of the 737 BBJ, and the company replied "The BBJ has been sold and is no longer in use with Atlas Air" dated 20/04/01.

Atlas Air was not the only operator of the 737 BBJ :rolleyes:

[zeny kastelein]

BBJ is Boeing Business Jet I presume?
Who cares what they fly around in. They
can ride a magic carpet as far I'm concerned. What I'd really like to see is
the Atlas BOD's (Board of Directors,for all
you who love the use of abbreviations,in all
you say and do) nailed to the tarmac and have a herd of Budweiser Clydesdales walk over them with strict attention paid to the area of the family jewels. That'll teach 'em the meaning of respect. Either that or a
nice cross check from the blind side.
Hey Now!

[The Guvnor]

Having had some involvement with corporate jets in the past, I can confirm that, once again, Hunter58 is correct.

The sale of any aircraft takes a fair amount of time - and that increases exponentially based on the degree of 'specialisation' of the aircraft. An aircraft like this is built to specific tastes and even if sold at a deep discount, isn't going to move overnight.

However, there's an easy way to see who's right - check the FAA database and see who it's registered to. What's it's tail number?

[Hunter58]

N737MC was seen in western Europe early last month. I will not disclose publicly where it was and who was on board, but I know it was Atlas people...

Oh, and before I forget it, it was never on MC himself or Atlas. Officially it is registered by General Electric Capital Services. That does not mean it's not to be considered part of Atlas.

------------------
There's nothing like a three-holer...

[This message has been edited by Hunter58 (edited 06 July 2001).]

[Po Boy]

Press Release
SOURCE: Air Line Pilots Association, International
ALPA Atlas Pilots to Conduct Informational Picketing At Corporate Headquarters
HERNDON, Va., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Uniformed pilots and professional flight engineers of Atlas Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), will conduct two weeks of informational picketing at the company's headquarters in Purchase, NY, beginning on July 9, 2001, to voice their outrage with the economics/job security proposal recently offered by the company at the negotiating table.

"Despite our negotiators' good-faith efforts to bargain reasonably with Atlas management, this grossly inadequate economics and job security proposal is a slap in the face to the pilots and flight engineers who helped build this company,'' said John Caputo, chairman of the ALPA Atlas pilots' Strike Preparedness and Communications committees.

"Notwithstanding public statements to the contrary, the company's recent proposal calls into serious question whether Atlas management has the intention to rapidly conclude negotiations to achieve a fair collective bargaining agreement.''

The Atlas cockpit crews since April 2000 have been attempting to negotiate their first labor contract with airline management. The National Mediation Board assigned a federal mediator to facilitate the contract negotiations in September 2000.

Atlas is the world's third-largest cargo carrier and the world's largest operator of Boeing 747 freighters. Last year, the airline received the distinction of being ranked the world's most financially fit carrier. Celebrating its 70th anniversary, ALPA is the world's oldest and largest pilots union, representing 66,000 members at 47 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at http://www.alpa.org .


EVENT: ALPA Atlas Pilots' Informational Picketing at Corporate
Headquarters

DATES: July 9, 2001-July 20, 2001

TIMES: 7 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-5 p.m. daily during the two-week
duration

LOCATION: Atlas Air Corporate Headquarters, 2000 Westchester Avenue,
Purchase, NY

SOURCE: Air Line Pilots Association, International

:) http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif :) http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif

[Po Boy]

Just what we need now at Atlas, another Senior Management promotion.........they're getting a bit top heavy!!!!!!!


Press Release
Atlas Air Promotes Fred L. deLeeuw to Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning
PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 2001--Atlas Air, Inc. announced that Fred deLeeuw, previously Vice President of Corporate Finance, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning. In his new position, deLeeuw will be responsible for fleet planning, mergers and acquisitions, alliances and joint ventures.

He joined Atlas Air in 1996 after 26 years of experience in the passenger airline industry, coming from Vanguard Airlines where he had been Chief Financial Officer. Prior to his tenure at Vanguard, deLeeuw held various financial positions at Texas International Airlines, People Express, Continental Airlines and Northwest Air.

"Fred has made major contributions to Atlas Air's financial successes over the past several years. He has played a particularly key role during the Company's transitional period of the last few months, with dual responsibilities for many of the Company's financial matters as well as its ongoing strategic efforts. In every instance, he has performed exceptionally,'' said Richard Shuyler, Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Air, Inc. "This promotion is well deserved, and we are proud to welcome him to his new position.''

deLeeuw lives in Brookfield, Connecticut with his wife Jan and their four children.

Atlas Air, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CGO - news) and is a United States certificated air carrier that operates a fleet of Boeing 747 freighters under ACMI contracts. These contracts include the provision by Atlas Air of the Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance for some of the world's leading international carriers.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:

Atlas Air, Inc., Purchase
Vicki L. Foster, 914/701-8400


:mad: http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif :mad:

[Beaver Driver]

H58
The original Atlas BBJ was actually gone before MC died. Just because it has the same tail number does not mean it belongs to, or even continues to work for Atlas. Having had a conversation with one of the two pilots who had crewed this aircraft, I can only assume this is true.

[411A]

Here we go.....Atlas pilots down the slippery slope....strike preparations.
Good luck guys, in todays slow aircargo environment, you will NEED it.

[Roadtrip]

Atlas management may severely lack leadership skills, but they're not suicidal. There is no way they'll allow it to go into a deep strike. They're just following the playbook, just like the rest of the airlines. Bad faith bargaining is just another management tool. Unforturnately, Mr. Bush seems to unembarassed by the apparent fact that he's in the ATA's back pocket. Airline management (pax) now has almost no incentive to bargain in good faith, so they won't.

[fr8box]

I certainly hope you guys there at Atlas are right! However I still have that unsure feeling in my gut. Remember, no one thought the folks at Eastern were suicidal either. However events got to the point that it just spun out of control with no turning back.

You have to remember, the folks you are negotiating with aren't managers. They were put into place to destroy your union and seem to be hell bent to do it.

Best of luck to you, if you win, it'll benefit us all.

[411A]

BeaverDriver---
So.....what is it?

[Intruder]

We'll probably find out when it matures into an agreement.

[fr8box]

From PlaneBusiness Banter (tm)
Volume 5, Issue 27
July 3, 2001
Holly Hegeman, Editor and Publisher

"On the opposite end of the spectrum, may we turn your attention now (drum roll please) to the PlaneBusiness Second Quarter Basement. We had eight airline stocks post double-digit losses on the quarter.
...
Atlas Air...-50%
...

"Hmmmm.

"Well, let's break it down this way. Who surprised us by being in this list? Who didn't?

"About the only stock that we can say genuinely surprised us by being here is Atlas Air (CGO:NYSE). What is the deal with Atlas anyway?

"Don't know if you caught it, but the company announced last week that Doug Carty, speaking of all things Canadian, had been named the new CFO of the company. Carty is the brother of Don, CEO and Chairman of American Airlines, and is the former CFO of Canadian Airlines.

"Now, I'm not sure we want to get into a full-blown discussion of the Canadian connection here, or if it is even relevant, but what is relevant is that Atlas Air stock has been in a freefall.

"Yes, the company has announced cost cutting measures. Yes, the company has admitted that its customers are having a rough time meeting the contract minimums of their contracts.

"But it does appear that Wall Street has decided, rightly or wrongly, that an Atlas Air without Michael Chowdry is just not the same animal it once was." :(

[ironbutt57]

Reckon that's a right switched on "stragetic planning" guy they just got...so many "good" airlines behind him...look out pilots BOHICA as we say....know what his strategy might just be

[ 10 July 2001: Message edited by: ironbutt57 ]

[Roadtrip]

Who was that other winner from Canadian that Atlas hired into ops a few years ago. What happened to him? I remember sitting at a company dinner a few years ago while Paul F and he discussed what great cruises that the company officers went on, the opulance of the BBJ, etc. while I sat there thinking . . . ya, know these guys have a lot of huzpah talking about this stuff in front of aircrews who just had their profit sharing illegally taken away. Just another reason why I no longer work for them.

[ 10 July 2001: Message edited by: Roadtrip ]

[Intruder]

fr8box:

The only "50% loss" Atlas might have had as of July 3 is in its stock price. They have not yet, AFAIK, posted their quarterly results (SEC form 10Q).

If that is what you are referring to, it should be no surprise to Holly Hegeman. These days, stock price is as much a measure of investor confidence in NEAR TERM profits as anything else. Atlas posted a significant profit in Q1 (they even reported more "record" results) before correcting it after the fact for the Profit Sharing settlement with the Flight Crews (a single-quarter writedown, after the fact, to offset payments withheld for 2 years?!?). The analysts also have predicted a "flat" Q2 return AFTER writedowns for the recent furloughs and layoffs. Q3 and Q4 profitability, however, is predicted to be right back up to par, as is 2002!

Watch out for that whitewash!

[Blue & White]

One thing you can say about the late MC, he was very successful in keeping the company in contracts. Not too sensitive about his human resources........however, he was able to keep things on the lucrative side. I can't say the same about the current lot. They seem more interested in busting the union than bringing in income for Atlas.
Greed has destroyed more companies than Atlas.
The current stock holders should be kicking someone's ass concerning the sub $15.00/share stock price. Maybe they should hide a certain VP's nitro pills and up the stress level a few notches. Best of luck for a good contract.

[Cowgirl]

Not sure where the guys saying Atlas still operates (and incurs expenses I would assume is the implication??) the BBJ, but, look at their PUBLIC filing of the 1st quarter 10Q.

"In March 2001, the Company sold its business jet,.... in a like-kind exchange transaction and has replaced it with lower cost aircraft to be used by executives in domestic and international travel"

[Intruder]

So WHERE is N737MC?!?

WHO is walking on/off the stairway?

[Cowgirl]

I don't know, but Atlas does not own it and is not incurring ANY expenses related to it.