ATA Airlines
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ATA_logo.png
ATA Logo
ATA Airlines (formerly American Trans Air) is a discount airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It operates regular passenger as well as charter flights and flies to places like San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport and Aguadilla in Puerto Rico and points in Hawaii.
ATA's major hub is Midway Airport in Chicago, Illinois.
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History
American Trans Air was founded as a charter carrier in 1981, with a fleet of eight Boeing 707's based in Indianapolis. It added Boeing 727's to its fleet in 1984, Lockheed L-1011's in 1985, and Boeing 757's in 1989, and began scheduled flights in 1986 between Indianapolis and Fort Myers, Florida.
ATA_737NG.jpg
By the mid-1990's, ATA operated a sizable hub in Chicago and offered scheduled services throughout the continental U.S., as well as flights to Hawaii and extensive military air charter contracts. In 2000, ATA placed a large order for new Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 757-300 aircraft to expand its fleet for additional flights from Midway. That year, it also began scheduled flights to Mexico and was designated as a major carrier by the United States Department of Transportation. ATA Holdings, ATA's parent company, also owns the nations largest travel club, Ambassadair.
In 2004, ATA filed for Chapter 11. In December of 2004 ATA entered an agreement with Southwest Airlines to transfer 6 gates at Chicago Midway Airport and 27% of non-voting stock in exchange for a cash influx and codeshare agreement. In 2005, ATA reduced its hub in Indiannapolis and centered its operations its Midway Hub in order to complement its Southwest codeshare flights. ATA has also heavily reduced its number of served destinations, only serving markets that are primarily business oriented, such as San Fransisco, Dallas, and New York, that do not have Southwest service. In this way, ATA would become the business feeder to the more leisure-oriented Southwest Airlines. Additionally, ATA has been offering more point-to-point service not connecting to its Midway Hub, as to benefit other Sothwest Airline hubs, such as Las Vegas, Orlando, and Phoenix, with connections to non-Southwest served destinations, such as Denver, Hawaii, and Mexico. So far, this agreement has worked quite well, to both airlines advantage. Southwest CEO Dave Parker said that revenues were up nearly 20% due to the new codesharing agreement.
In April 2005, ATA sold off its feeder service, Chicago Express, to a private buyer.
IATA Code
ATA Airlines uses the IATA designator code TZ.
Call Sign "AmTran"
Destinations
United States of America
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Puerto Rico
- Texas
Japan (Recurring Charters)
Mexico
Aruba
External links
- ATA Airlines (http://www.ata.com/)
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