Release #05.ATA
January 10, 2005

ATA Airlines Crewmembers Reject Interim Relief Agreement by Wide Margin

CHICAGO -- ATA Airlines flight deck crewmembers, as represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) have rejected a proposed Interim Relief tentative agreement that would have cut pay by as much as 15 percent for some crewmembers. Out of 988 crewmembers eligible to vote, 79.2% voted against the agreement.

In response to the vote, ATA Airlines Master Executive Council Chairman, Capt. Erik Engdahl issued the following statement:

"Our crewmembers sent a message loud and clear: they have lost confidence in our current senior management. It is obvious that new management is vitally important to the success of ATA and future negotiations with ALPA. ATA already has some of the lowest labor costs in the airline industry, and the Company never provided an interim business plan that showed a need for immediate cuts. We urge the Company to look at all aspects of the airline's operations before they ask us again to surrender any of the contract gains we won just two years ago."

The Interim Relief Tentative Agreement would have temporarily reduced salaries by 15% for Lockheed L-1011 crewmembers, 12% for Boeing 757 crewmembers, and 8% for Boeing 737 crewmembers. It would also have cut company contributions into a pilot retirement plan by 50%. The package would have been in effect for 120 days and saved the airline $6 million. ATA flight crewmembers ratified a $43 million concessions package on June 30, 2004.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world's oldest and largest pilot union and represents 64,000 airline pilots at 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

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ALPA CONTACT: Rusty Ayers (773) 284-4910; (847) 323-9519 (cell)