Global Aviation Holdings

Global Aviation Holdings.
Type Private
Industry Transportation
Founded February 19, 2009
Headquarters Peachtree City, Georgia, USA
Products Airline Services
Employees 2,200
Website glah.com

Global Aviation Holdings Inc. (Global) is the parent company of World Airways, Inc. (World), and North American Airlines, Inc. (North American), headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia.[1] World and North American are Part 121 U.S.-certified air carriers providing customized air transportation services for major international passenger and cargo carriers, international freight forwarders, the U.S. military, international leisure tour operators and international corporations.

Contents

Global Aviation Holdings today

Today, Global Aviation Holdings has combined revenues of more than $1 billion, 30 leased aircraft (most from GECAS and ILFC), and more than 2,200 employees. Global Aviation Holdings provides services in the passenger, commercial passenger ad-hoc lease and wet lease charter, military-on-demand and cargo charter ACMI markets in which an increasingly greater amount is now being concentrated in the hands of this one particular company with two subsidiaries.

Among Global Aviation Holdings significant competitors amidst this dwindling field of operators on the passenger side, who specialize in AMC charter contracts and (ACMI) and charter markets are, Miami International Airlines, Omni Air International and Ryan International Airlines. On the cargo side, Global Aviation Holdings operations performed by World Airways remain distant rivals to the vastly growing ABX Air's airline holdings operations and network which are now inclusive of the much smaller (ATI) Air Transport International and Capital Cargo International Airlines who at one time were fierce competitors for similar contracts. North American flew to the African continent with a link up to Virgin Nigeria Airlines , but all scheduled passenger service was discontinued in May 2008 as a result of the fuel price rise escalations of 2007-2008.[2] Global Aviation Holdings has substantial fleet operations transiting through Atlanta ATL, New York (JFK), Baltimore Washington BWI, Dallas Ft. Worth DFW and Houston (IAH) on a regular basis.

Fleet

Elliott As of December 31, 2009, Global Aviation Holdings has 30 transoceanic capable aircraft in its fleet, consisting of 5 narrow-body and 25 (company information)wide-body hulls [']:[3][4][5]

Global Aviation Holdings Fleet
Aircraft Total Passengers
(Business/Coach)
Business Notes
North American Airlines Fleet

Ata

Boeing 757-200 5 199 (16/183) Passenger
Boeing 767-300 5 206 (30/176)
247 (247)
Passenger
World Airways Fleet
Passenger
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 7 323 (27/296)
400 (400)
Passenger
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 9 Cargo
Boeing 747-400 4 Cargo

Global Aviation Holdings is expected to receive some Airbus A330-200F from an order placed by parent company MatlinPatterson.[6]

Destinations

As of May 2008, Global Aviation Holdings subsidiaries North American Airlines and World Airways do not offer scheduled service, however operated flights into more than 120 countries worldwide in 2009.

History

Originally named AmTran (Holdings) prior to 2002 and based in Indianapolis, Indiana, the holding company's name was changed to ATA Holdings Corp., for increased transparency and to attract financial investors after the September 11 attacks economic hardships that affected the industry. ATA Holdings Corp. was a publicly traded company.

On April 8, 2004, ATA Holdings announced the sale of ATA Training Corporation to Aviation Institute of Maintenance to focus on the passenger and charter business. ATA Training provided training for aircraft technicians. It was founded in Indianapolis in 1992.[7]

ATA Holdings Corp. traded on the NASDAQ as "ATAH" until the company filed bankruptcy proceedings in October, 2004.

On April 5, 2007, New ATA Holdings, Inc. changed its name to Global Aero Logistics Inc (GAL), shortly after which it announced the agreement to purchase World Airways and North American Airlines. Late in 2007, GAL moved headquarter operations to Peachtree City, Georgia, where World Airways is headquartered. This move was a silent and unnanounced move. Today, Global Aero Logistics provides military/commercial air transportation charters throughout the world.

According to an Indianapolis press release from Global Aero Logisitcs Inc., and North American airlines, the combined companies of North American, ATA, and World in 2006 revenues were approximately $1.6 Billion dollars.[9]

Bankruptcy

On October 26, 2004, ATA Holdings, Inc., the former parent company of ATA Airlines, filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, along with seven of its subsidiaries: ATA Airlines, Chicago Express Airlines, ATA Cargo, ATA Leisure Corp., ATA Training Corp., Amber Travel, and ExecuJet. The Company and its subsidiaries continued to operate their respective business as debtors-in-possession under the jurisdiction of the Bankruptcy Court, and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and applicable court orders, and continued to do this for one and a half years. On April 2, 2008, ATA Airlines filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and immediately ceased all operations.[10] The sibling airlines will continue to operate. With the MatlinPatterson decision to shutter ATA Airlines, the same hedge fund in control of the remaining assets of ATA Airlines (MatlinPatterson).[11] and World Air Holdings, has now decided to acquire the cargo carrier Arrow Air, which does business as (d/b/a) Arrow Air Cargo out of Miami.

Restructuring

After the company's bankruptcy filing on October 26, 2004, drastic measures were taken to turn the company around and make it profitable. As part of its restructuring, J. George Mikelsons ATA's founder and director stepped away from the MatlinPatterson Global Aero Logistics firm and the directorship, of ATA named John G. Denison as CEO in February 2005. Later that year, launched their first-ever codeshare agreement with Southwest Airlines which had been spearheaded earlier by Mikelsons, thus enabling ATA to connect their passengers to Southwest's markets and vice-versa. ATA also cut down its scheduled operations, most significantly from its former hub at Chicago Midway International Airport.

ATA sold Ambassadair Travel Club in 2004 to Grueninger Cruises and Tours, based in Indianapolis.[12]

On February 28, 2006, New ATA Holdings Inc. emerged from Chapter 11 United States Bankruptcy Protection.

Emergence of Global Aero Logistics

On April 5, 2007, Global Aero Logistics announced an agreement to acquire World Air Holdings, Inc. in a $315 million all-cash transaction. Simultaneously, New ATA Holdings officially announced their name had been changed to Global Aero Logistics, Inc., effective immediately, to reflect their diverse global operations and its recent acquisition of companies with the financial backing of the Matlin Patterson Global Opportunities investment firm. Terms of the $315 million deal were that Global Aero Logistics Inc. would operate ATA Airlines, North American Airlines, and World Airways under one umbrella (Global Aero Logistics) with each airline (ATA, North American, and World) operating independently when the transaction is completed sometime in the third quarter of 2007. Thus far the company has not addressed the potential cost savings possible through top level managerial and executive redundancies. Additionally the cost savings potential of consolidating the training, scheduling, flight crew positioning, reservations, and various other departments such as dispatch, medical, human resources, and aircraft stores has not been addressed.

In 2007 the parent company of ATA said that it was changing its name to Global Aero Logistics Inc. and was acquiring the parent company of North American Airlines. Pacific Business News said during that year "There are interesting synergies between ATA and World Air Holdings."[13]

Management

Rob Binns

Charlie McDonald

Bill Garrett

Jeff Sanborn

Mark M. McMillin

Larry Montford

Jeff Wehrenberg

References

External links

Atlanta portal
Companies portal
Aviation portal