Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services. It operates through two segments, Airline Operations and Dry Leasing. The company offers outsourced cargo and passenger aircraft operating solutions, including contractual service arrangements, such as the provision of aircraft; and value-added services, including crew, maintenance, and insurance to aircraft and other customers. It also provides cargo and passenger aircraft charter services to the U.S. Military Air Mobility Command, charter brokers, freight forwarders, direct shippers, airlines, manufacturers, sports teams and fans, and private charter customers; and cargo and passenger aircraft and engines dry leasing services. In addition, the company offers administrative and management support services, and flight simulator training services. It also serves express delivery providers, e-commerce retailers, and airlines. The company has operations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America. Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

In 1992, Atlas Air began operations when the airline's founder, Michael Chowdry, started leasing aircraft to airlines.In 1993, China Airlines, the first customer, initiated operations with Atlas Air with one airplane on an aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance agreement.By 1995, Atlas Air began trading publicly.In 1997, Atlas placed an order for 10 new Boeing 747-400F aircraft with another two orders for 747-400Fs placed in 1998.On January 30, 2004, Atlas Air Worldwide entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In July 2004, the parent company completed its restructuring plan and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.In 2006, Amnesty International released a report on extraordinary rendition claiming that Atlas Air was one of the airlines used by the US government for rendering detainees. This was the basis for the song "Atlas Air" recorded by Massive Attack for the album Heligoland.In 2007, Atlas Air began a multiyear training contract with the United States Air Force to provide training for the pilots of Air Force One. The contract also provided training for the Presidential Airlift Group. This program has been renewed several times and remains in place today.In March 2010, Atlas Air was awarded the contract to operate the Boeing Dreamlifter transporting aircraft parts to Boeing from suppliers around the world. It commenced operation in September 2010 under a CMI contract.In 2011, Atlas Air took the first North American delivery of the Boeing 747-8 Freighter .On April 7, 2016, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings purchased Southern Air for US$110 million in an all-cash deal. The transaction included Worldwide Air Logistics Group, Inc. and its two operating subsidiaries, Southern Air, Inc. and Florida West International Airways, Inc.On May 5, 2016, Amazon.com and Atlas Air announced a deal for Amazon.com to lease 20 Boeing 767s to fuel growth of its new Amazon air freight service, branded as Amazon Air. The deal also warranted Amazon the ability to buy up to 30% stake in the company over the next seven years. Under the agreement, Atlas Air Inc. would provide aircraft and CMI for seven years. This move came after Amazon's similar deal with Air Transport Services Group for 20 aircraft, also to be branded under Amazon Air.In March 2017, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings shut down Florida West International Airways and cancelled the operating certificate.In January 2021, Atlas Air announced the purchase of an additional four 747-8 freighters from Boeing. They will be the final four 747s to be built. These are to be delivered in 2022, the same year that Boeing plans to shut the 747 production program.On November 17, 2021, Atlas Air and Southern Air Inc completed their merger with the transition to a single operating certificate.On August 4, 2022, Atlas agreed to be bought by an investor group for $3.2 billion.