TazPilot

The Gitmo flying is part of the DOD Team flying and typically changes each quarter of the year, it's ABX's turn coming up!

FlyAstarJets

Thanks WD. Saves me from being Mod spanked......again.

wetpish

Let's not overlook the impact of miserable performance during the past year.

That can be attributed to the blundering managment team. It would even be comical if it didn't have an effect on so many innocent people.

I think ATI had an opportunity over the past year. All they had to do was hold on to their customers and attact a couple new ones. It didn't happen.

Hete admitted in the conference call that ATI is losing money on the Amerijet charter. The only reason they are doing it is in hopes that Ameriject will sign a multi-year dry lease agreement. Given that fact, I'm pretty sure that ATSG/CAM will let Amerijet convert to a dry lease prior to the end of the six-month term.

borismud

I'm not going to name any names but it really is amazing what these guys who came from Capital were able to destroy in such a short amount of time. But then, maybe that was the plan all along?

NCR757dxr

This......

I just don't understand why AJT doesn't get a third 767-200 and fly this work themselves. This is now three different contracts since Jan/13. They have to have a lower operation cost per block hour (especially with all the top heavy, cornfield people).

My bet is ATI is/was hoping to get the nod for a longterm contract on a new route AJT is getting, as you hinted at as well. I bet that is over. Why would AJT ink a deal with the possibility that ATI is gone within months. At least a -300 is getting a few more trips for LOT.

I agree with you that ATI could have come out of this merger a real winner if management had seemed to care about going after it instead of putting all the eggs in the DHL737 operation.

borismud

Hete talked about that a little during the conference call last week. If you missed the call, you can get the recording on line.

Hete said Amerijet is trying out the route to see if it will have adequate volume to add it on a more long-term basis. That's why they are doing ACMI with option to go dry lease.

Hete said ATI is losing money on the ACMI deal because they hope Amerijet will sign a lease and take it over.

It sounds like Hete is not confident in ATI ability to sustain an ACMI relationship so he will take less profit with more security through a dry lease.

Hete also said that ABX recently picked up an ACMI contract with DHL to do some trips from Miama to Panama.

Mink

Sorry to hear about the troubles at ATI. I spent a year at Diego Garcia, and those ATI DC-8's were always a welcome sight. Got to meet a few of the ATI guys - good bunch of folks.

abxflyr

ATI's OpSpecs are not extremely different from those of ABX. Nothing that ABX could not add with little or no difficulty, with the exception of passenger operations. That is the key in keeping the 2 airlines separate and intact. It is not cost feasible to add those operations to ABX (or merge ABX/ATI to achieve the same). The larger question is will ATSG continue to retain a low-cost carrier (ATI) with their primary source of revenue being combi runs, and have an airframe in the wings for charter and ad-hoc work. I believe ATSG will. Many carriers (including 135 and 125 operators) exist with minimal aircraft, ATI would actually be revenue positive once all other expenses are shed and they are burden with solely the cost of minimal staff (that seems to be a hard decision for them to make) and other associated costs that are appropriate for an airline of their new size (i.e. HR depts., Maint, scheds, etc.)

727CA

I don't think destroying Capital was their plan at all. I just think they really are that incompetent. These people had no business running Capital, ATI or any airline for that matter. They bit off way more than the can chew by thinking they could "rescue" Capital and run ATI. They have very large egos and actually view themselves as real airline execs but lack the ability to see the trajectory of these airlines and make the necessary changes. They were given several opportunities, but made zero effort to seek additional flying, and why they employ a sales & marketing department is beyond me.
One of those dimwits somehow managed to actually get hired as a pilot at SWA, then ended up leaving SWA a year later, voluntarily returning to the cornfield to manage this sinking ship. That's a good example of their thought process.

blogwth

I think that guy is one of the better ones. Waaaaaay more integrity that that guy that likes to be called "the Hammer." Maybe if he would have gone there sooner, things could have turned out different. I hope he knew what he was getting himself into.

The CP and the former assistant CP were the ones that made a real mess of things. Whoever allowed that sideshow to go on is the real one to blame.