Is SWA trying to purchase ATAs operating certificate without the ATA pilots?

[MCDU]

Do not forget Midwest Express. Another ALPA carrier getting royally screwed.

M

 

[Ky.BrownBourbn]

I know the gates in Charlotte were sold to Air Tran, What happened the the DCA (Washington National) Slots and the gates elsewhere? Theres got to be more assets than the Slots in LGA. And if another Airline Bought the "Assets" what would prevent them from taking the "Meat" (Slots and Gates) and selling the "Bones" (Certificate). You wouldn't think there was any idiot right now who would want a certificate to start an Airline BUT their probably is.

Had many friends at ATA who lost jobs, Many still out of work or out of flying, they got a raw deal.

KBB

 

[Whataburger]

What happened the the DCA (Washington National) Slots and the gates elsewhere?
KBB

I read in one article that SWA actually paid a bit more for the DCA slots to be dropped out of the "package." We apparently wanted nothing to do with them, and it cost us some money to let the DC slots go alone.

 

[Full of LUV]

They should start up a military charter business....

I know the gates in Charlotte were sold to Air Tran, What happened the the DCA (Washington National) Slots and the gates elsewhere? Theres got to be more assets than the Slots in LGA. And if another Airline Bought the "Assets" what would prevent them from taking the "Meat" (Slots and Gates) and selling the "Bones" (Certificate). You wouldn't think there was any idiot right now who would want a certificate to start an Airline BUT their probably is.

Had many friends at ATA who lost jobs, Many still out of work or out of flying, they got a raw deal.

KBB

It seems to me that ATA operated quite a while doing military charters, it was only when they decided to get into 121 ops that their fortunes turned radically different. Maybe they should start up a military charter outfit with their certificate.....

 

[Jetjockey]

It seems to me that ATA operated quite a while doing military charters, it was only when they decided to get into 121 ops that their fortunes turned radically different. Maybe they should start up a military charter outfit with their certificate.....

Not quite accurate. They were bigger than SWA at Midway for sometime. Terrible decisions over the last 5 years is what did them in.

 

[Crucianpilot]

Not quite accurate. They were bigger than SWA at Midway for sometime. Terrible decisions over the last 5 years is what did them in.

That and 9/11.

 

[njcapt]

Not quite accurate. They were bigger than SWA at Midway for sometime. Terrible decisions over the last 5 years is what did them in.

... and John Denison acting as a mole for SWA while he was CEO of ATA during bankruptcy. Reluctantly came out of retirement my a$$. Enjoy your position on the board, traitor.



Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 12:26 PM CST
Southwest Airlines appoints two to board

Dallas Business Journal

The Southwest Airlines board of directors has appointed two new directors: Daniel D. Villanueva and John Denison.
Villanueva, a partner at California-based private equity firm RC Fontis, brings extensive experience to his post. A former managing partner at Bastion Capital Corp., Villanueva currently serves at least three major firms as a board member. Villanueva also spent two decades in broadcasting as a TV executive for Spanish International Communications Corp.
Southwest’s second appointee, Denison, formerly served Global Aero Logistics Inc. in an executive role. He also held the position of chairman of the board at the airline holding company, Southwest said in a press release Thursday.
“We are proud to add businessmen of this caliber to our board,” said Gary Kelly, chairman of the board, president and CEO for Southwest Airlines. “We know their talent and experience will provide fresh insight particularly as our industry still faces many challenges.”

 

[Whine Lover]

" CEO of ATA "

Funny. That that little tidbit seems to be conspicuously absent from the article.

Hmmmmmm....


YKMKR

 

[CaptSeth]

A F$$$ing Trojan horse. We knew it then, we know it now. Looks like he got his pay off, and we got ours - a phallus inserted anally.

 

[vtwo]

Dennison personally told me that Gary Kelly was like a son to him.

Well it looks like DAD is being rewarded for answering the phone Back when Kelly called him while he was grilling steaks, Gary Kelly Asked John to go to Indianapolis and look after ATA when Southwest pumped Millions in to it to keep Airtran from getting Control of Midway airport.

The real story is really starting to become clear.

This is not hearsay , HE told me this when I was having lunch with him and the Bankruptcy CFO. while at a Captains meeting in Indy.

Hey John, Go live the rest of your life F'ing over others.

 

[mhermann596]

At least someone noticed we got the shaft.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/11/21/dirty-rotten-beautiful-southwest.aspx

Dirty, Rotten, Beautiful Southwest

By Tim Beyers
November 21, 2008
Comment (1)

2 Recommendations

You're ruthless, Southwest (NYSE: LUV).
ATA Airlines is dead and now you, like a vulture, want to pick at the carcass. This week, you bid $7.5 million for a portion of the defunct airline’s assets, including its operating certificate and 14 flight slots for New York's LaGuardia Airport. A bankruptcy court is reviewing your application now.
They won't find a plan to take over ATA's jets, or hire its former employees, or assume its gates at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. You want to grow as cheaply as possible -- just like your peers at UAL Corp.'s (Nasdaq: UAUA) United, Delta (NYSE: DAL), and US Airways (NYSE: LCC), among others.
But you're more ruthless than any of them. You're a grave robber.
Someone had to be; our capitalist system thrives on creative destruction. You've embraced this truism knowing that you'll very likely take criticism for doing so. Former ATA employees will call you heartless. They'll call it a tragedy. Guess what? They'll be right. But no one said that capitalism was easy. Failure is an essential element of the system.
Failure creates opportunity for survivors. Assets are absorbed, competitive advantages created -- here, seven new daily nonstops in JetBlue's (Nasdaq: JBLU) backyard. And it's all because, when ATA was barely breathing, regulators didn't intervene. Instead, they allowed a free market to work as intended. They allowed you to work.
Congress should be taking notes. Ford (NYSE: F), General Motors (NYSE: GM), and Chrysler argue that, without at least $25 billion in bailout money, one or more of them will fail. Let them. As taxpayers, we'd do better handing out $25 billion in employee bailouts -- extended jobless benefits and low-cost small-business loans for former Big Three workers. At least then we'd be pumping money directly into the economy and funding new capital-creating ideas. Isn't that better than pushing life support to sickly firms that were declared brain-dead years ago?
You're ruthless, Southwest. And that's exactly as it should be.

 

[b747dogg]

What ATA pilots? There are none.

 

[mhermann596]

I guess you can say that since SWA kicked them all to the curb

 

[Dizel8]

I thought I read that any slots at LGA would return to the PANYNJ in case an airline ceased to exist.

Funny how they now are allowing SWA to purchase them!

 

[scoreboardII]

Just as United existed in bankruptcy, so does ATA. They exist until liquidated.