Any chance of ICN base in the future?
 

Hey everyone!
I am a brand new FO at a regional thinking about my future in cargo flying!
Recently - I traveled to South Korea and I saw A LOT of Atlas (747) planes. It was incredible.
It got me curious and I began reading about Atlas and ICN - apparently you guys fly there quite frequently and Atlas is building a big maintenance base in ICN to be completed by 2025!?

Do you think there will be ICN base for crew in the future? If so - that would be amazing :) I would love to be closer to my parents in Korea.

0% They have a better chance of buying FDX

We won't ever open a base there but I would imagine ICN being one of the easiest non-base places to live, with many nights at home.

Really? I am not quite sure of the logistics of that - but I would imagine it will be difficult/expensive / crazy long commute :( It would be nice if it was doable tho....

On the 74 there are multiple ICN - ANC flights a day as well as trips that start with deadheads to ICN. The best though I think is the 767 runs. Those start and end with DHs to ICN. You could work 3 nights a month and be done. Although those take some seniority to hold and that's the most the subject to change as that's just one DHL contract and I could very well see it going back to TPE as it once was.

‘Very doable, lots of Atlas metal in and out of ICN. Multiple flights daily to ANC. It wouldn’t be hard to live in ICN and base yourself in ANC and work with scheduling/planning to start your patterns out at ICN..

We have multiple pilots who live in ICN. They seem very happy.

Definitely our most transited international location we have. Easiest of any overseas at this time.

Easiest would be to remain ANC (74) based and you could easily live in Korea.

Wow you guys! This is fascinating! I did not think it was remotely possible to live in Korea and commute to a U.S. company. I'm guessing it's only possible with Atlas (which means this will be my final destination company) I am super excited 😁 Thank you very much for your inputs!

wish i can join you someday lol. Never thought Atlas is this good.. possibly best option for any Korean living in USA with Greencard

Like most said, it wouldn’t be too hard to get rolling to or from ANC. Just a thought: Bet you could call scheds and see if they needed you to operate from ICN to wherever vs day prior to ANC for positioning. - just a thought if you lived in Korea.

ICN *Pretty much a home away from home for most…

Is this possible with NRT or anywhere in Japan? That would suit my family situation nicely

Basically every ACMI has this possibility, I know guys at ATI, Atlas, Kalitta, Omni, and Western Global who do this. One guy actually games the system so well at one of these places that he only spends 12 days a month (vs. the typical 16) on the road using the commute part of the pattern (which is built as originating in the US with associated rest requirements) in order to score a few more days at home on the way to and from work. Seniority helps in that case.

Nah, it's actually pretty easy and usually ends up with more days at home and more money from finding those unique fits that pad the check. If there's a will there's a way.

Possible yes, but ICN is being referenced as the home base abroad or let’s say the hub for the hub & spoke type system at this time. Most flights flow thru ICN even coming from down under; therefore, those abroad with the ability to touch ICN easily shouldn’t have much trouble getting to ANC and possibly starting a trip from there.

*Caveat - Might be an issue if China/we aren’t allowing our folks to JS/DH thru to get to ANC, etc., hence mostly direct flights.

**I would rather travel on company aircraft from ICN to ANC than commercial gateway MIA to ANC any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I've had several company JS'rs on board through China coming from SYD/ICN etc. I don't think its an issue.

Excellent, good to know and thanks for the update .

All kinds of rumors in MIA about two new bases and new training center but I’ll believe it when announced.

Not rumors just not a lot of details yet. Watch the last Flightline Briefing podcast.

iah 767 & 747
pdx 767 & 737

Any idea what sort of flying that is slated for each fleet and base, and how senior these may go?

According to the company, the 767 and 737 flying is Amazon flying that was already transiting the base, much like TPA 76.

IAH 74 is pax charter.

IAH is Pax and all operations…

It will be interesting to see how many aircrew members strong these bases will be unless that has already been released?

I do not have the numbers ontop of my head. But the flightline podcast has the information within it. IAH base kinda sorta threw a wrench into my plans…..

You are junior to me so you should not go to United. :D

Hahaha nice…. Lol :D

Is Atlas going to have a base in Sydney? Incentive for all the recently hired Australians to stay longer ? Are the Aussies paying their own way to/from home?


HD

Yes they pay their own way.

Can we open a base in Denver, as incentive for my loyalty to the company.

Atlas will not have a base in Sydney. To do so would be circumventing seniority because only those with work authorization in Australia would be able to be based there. That would be an immediate lawsuit from the union or individual pilots in my opinion.

Thank you for the kind replies. Cheers!


HD

Do not suggest tax free salaries for yourselves either…another lawsuit will entail

How difficult (or simple) would a London/Europe commute be?

THIS is what I think Atlas should have done, all along. Worldwide Home/Gateway Basing, with easy, guaranteed flights to/from work, just like they do for the 50 states. If they wanted to keep our bases we have, they could do Virtual Bases. They would get a number of pilots who like the ease of living overseas.
As it is now, a LOT of us live overseas, and/or travel extensively. It is relatively easy, depending on where you live, to get the company to buy your ticket (and maybe hotel) to/from overseas to start/end your trip.
The end of my last pattern, ended in Sacramento. The company paid for a nice hotel downtown, then bought my First/Biz class ticket to YYZ the next day. Yesterday, they bought me a ticket from YYZ-ORD to start my next pattern.
cliff YYZ

You don't even need a Greencard anymore. Atlas is hiring pilots without a passport/green card, because they are desperate, between attrition losses and all the new planes they are buying.

We just announced two new bases, posted above. We DO need a new Training Center, as we screwed up the plans we had already in place, and lost the property we were planning to use...similar to our problems in ANC...

If you are overseas, you can often get Atlas to buy you tickets to/from the US, or even have them start you overseas. My last vacation in Spain, I was scheduled to start my pattern in ORD. I asked for an overseas start. They bought me a biz/first class ticked on KLM from Spain to AMS to start my pattern, and then gave me an extra day off in Spain, on top of that. It doesn't always go that well, but it happens...

I don't think this is correct, as they would not be working in Sydney, just flying in/out of there. When we had the base in Stansted, we had American passport pilots living in England. I do realize the Australian rules may be different than the soon-to-be-(dis)United Kingdom.

A LOT of our pilots live in Europe. Probably the UK also, but I don't know of any, personally.

This is pretty much untrue. One must have a right to work in the US. Passport, Green Card or E3 visas are the biggest categories. There are a few pursuing other visa and lengthy and expensive process.