“When you’re on ATA, you’re on vacation,” used to be the airline’s marketing slogan. But the 10th largest airline in the U.S., American Trans Air (ATA), has shed its vacation-only image to attract more business passengers by cutting Part 121 charter service, expanding its scheduled service and upgrading to the newest fleet in the industry. The airline’s executive flight department, ATA Execujet, is also seeking to expand its service by offering fixed-wing Part 135 service. It currently operates a mix of Part 135 helicopter and Part 91 fixed-wing operations.
ATA began operations in 1973 as an air travel club in Indianapolis. The company grew quickly after deregulation, and was certified as a common air carrier in 1981 operating Boeing 720s and 707s as a charter airline. Beginning its first scheduled service in 1986 with a route between Indianapolis and Fort Myers, Fla., ATA continued to operate primarily charter services for the next decade and did not receive “major carrier” status from the DOT until 2000.
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