Is Atlas recession proof
 

Has Atlas/Southern ever furloughed during a recession or economic crisis?

There was a furlough back in 2002, I want to say? I believe that this was, at least in part, an intentional tactic on account of the Atlas / Polar merger. Someone who was actually there might be able to chime in.
No airline (or job) is recession proof, but I'd say that cargo definitely seems to have fewer boom/bust cycles than pax airlines.

Yes. An airline is a business. If times turn tough a responsible management team will do whatever is necessary to protect the corporation. FDX has a model where the pilots are willing to give up some monthly guarantee to prevent furloughs. At Atlas, and most US airlines, the last hired are the first fired

The last time a furlough happened was in 2002 and it was allegedly of 40 pilots...and according to the article below it was out of prudence than out of necessity.

Talk about adaptability.

Atlas is diversified in ways that even the Majors are trying to emulate from flying preighters to picking up AMC flying.

Yup Im rooting for this place and a reason for it is indeed its diversification and willingness (and ability) to adapt.

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/at...crew-furloughs

Unless Im missing something :/

There was as furlough in 2009 with some pilots out 13 months.

While no business is completely recession proof, Atlas business model today is completely different then it was in 2002 and 2009. The company barely resembles the place it was then.

We're very diversified, but we are a subcontractor. We have furloughed in the past. The numbers of pilots involved were small, but we were a much smaller company then too. So I wouldn't say we're impervious to economic and geopolitical surprises, but we're more resilient than most. I'd still keep a rainy day fund ready.

As Atlasvet says, we are a much different animal today than we were in '09 (well before I was on property).

ACMI carriers are more prone to downturns because they depend on not only the US but other countries that contract with Atlas. There is a saying "When the US catches a cold the world catches pneumonia". Atlas may be more diversified, and they can move aircraft in and out of there operation as it sees fit but that does not mean they are recession proof and moving airplanes does not mean moving crews. You are expendable. What your union should be doing is working toward a FedEx type of CBA that prevents furloughs. The only problem with that is the guys and gals at purple make a lot more money that Atlas and a drop in guarantee is not that big a deal for some. Junior you love it, senior you hate it but in the end it is better for everyone.

I guess they don’t call us “5Y” for nothing.

lol. I thought about making this same comment but I did hold my horses :D