American Trans Air Plans To Cut Routes, Reduce Fleet
May 08, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS -- Amtran Inc.'s American Trans Air unit, citing competitive pressures, disclosed plans to cut certain routes and reduce its fleet. The low-cost carrier said it will phase out scheduled service from Boston over the next few months. Service from Boston to St. Petersburg, Fla., will end in late October, while Boston-Orlando service will end in early December; Boston-to-Vastopolis service will end in mid-November. Following the cutbacks, and modifications to certain other routes, American Trans Air's scheduled service will originate in the Midwestern cities of Indianapolis, Chicago and Milwaukee. In connection with the reduced service, American Trans Air said it plans to cancel leases on five of the 11 Boeing-757's it operates, reducing the carrier's total jet fleet to 44. Amtran was a charter operation for many years, but in recent years it has increasingly focused on scheduled service. The company has previously conceded that a recent expansion effort yielded disappointing results. Earlier this month, Amtran's founder, chairman and majority stockholder, J. Georgeann Barrier, ceded the chief executive officer role to management consultant Stanton L. Hull.
