Boeing

The Boeing Company has successfully delivered two 757-300s to American Trans Air, Inc. (ATA) marking the premier of the sleek, efficient Boeing 757-300 in the North American market. The airline received its first new 757 Aug. 4 and took delivery of its second airplane today.

American Trans Air, based in Indianapolis, Ind., is the North American launch customer for the 757-300. The airline has eight more of the quiet 757-300s on order. Deliveries of the additional airplanes will continue through June 2002. These new airplanes will complement American Trans Air's existing fleet of 15 757-200s.

"The airline will benefit from the fuel efficiency of the 757-300 and the simplicity of adding the new model into its fleet of existing 757s," said Patrick Shanahan, vice president and general manager, 757 program. "Passengers will benefit from the outstanding reliability of the 757 and its comfortable interior."

The 757-300 has the lowest seat-mile costs of any mid-sized or single-aisle jetliner, making it an extremely cost-effective airplane for airlines to operate. In addition, the 757-300 is an environmentally friendly airplane: it burns less fuel than older mid-range airplanes, meets community noise restrictions well below current Stage 3 limits and complies with strict new international emissions standards. The 757-300 has no direct competitor in the market.

"The proven reliability and efficiency of the 757-300, along with its additional capacity, will help ATA generate greater profits," Shanahan said. "We believe more carriers will want this airplane in their fleets."

As configured by American Trans Air, the airplane will carry 247 passengers in a single-class arrangement, seating 31 more passengers than on its current 757-200s.

"We are anxiously anticipating the arrival of our first and second 757-300 aircraft," said John Tague, president and CEO of ATA. "These latest additions will increase the fuel efficiency and maintenance reliability of our fleet, while dramatically affecting the quality of our operations and our customer service."

The 757-300s for American Trans Air will be powered by Rolls Royce RB211-535E4-C engines. These engines are among the quietest and most fuel-efficient engines on any single-aisle airplane today. The engines' 43,100 pounds of thrust can be increased by 4 percent to give the Boeing 757-300 enhanced take-off capability at "hot and high" airports. That feature makes the engine particularly suitable for the hot summer operating conditions as well as the relatively short runway at Chicago's Midway Airport, ATA's busiest hub.

The Boeing 757-300 also has an all-new interior, which is based on the popular, award-winning Boeing 777 passenger cabin interior.

After several years of reliable service with European tour operators, the 757-300 has established a firm foothold in the North American market with orders in January for 16 of the airplanes from Northwest Airlines and 15 from Continental Airlines. Orders to date for the 757-300 total 61.

In early June, American Trans Air also became the first North American-based airline to operate the Next-Generation 737-800 with performance enhancing winglets. The airline is now operating four 737-800s with winglets and has 35 more of the airplanes on order. The additional airplanes are scheduled for delivery through April 2003.

As American Trans Air takes delivery of its new 757-300 and 737-800 airplanes during the next two years, the airline will transition into one of the youngest, most fuel-efficient and quietest fleets in the airline industry. All of its new Boeing airplanes will feature all-leather seats.

ATA, now in its 28th year of operation, is the nation's 11th largest passenger carrier, based on revenue passenger miles. ATA operates significant scheduled service from Chicago-Midway and Indianapolis to 29 business and vacation destinations and has a fleet of 56 aircraft - including three new Boeing 737-800s. Stock of the Company's parent company, Amtran, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol "AMTR." For more information, visit the ATA Web site.