What Happened To ATA Airlines’ Boeing 757-200s?

Before we take a look at what happened to ATA Airlines Boeing 757-200s, let’s take a look at how the airline came to be and how what was once a major US troop carrier disappeared.

ATA Airlines started life in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1973 as the Ambassadair travel club. During the 1970s, it operated charter flights from Indianapolis International Airport (IND) with two Boeing 727s.

ATA began flying Boeing 707s

After receiving its common-air carrier certificate in March 1981, the airline rebranded as American Trans Air (ATA) and began charter flights with a fleet of eight Boeing 707s. In 1984 ATA replaced the 707s with Boeing 727-100s before adding Lockheed L-1011 TriStar widebody jetliners in 1985 and Boeing 757-200s in 1989.

Because the airline’s founder, J. George Mikelsons, was of Latvian descent he decided that ATA should offer flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Riga International Airport (RIX) in what was then still the Soviet Union. Needless to say, the flights proved unsuccessful and were soon stopped.

ATA gets a big military contract

ATA’s big break came in the lead up to and during the 1991 Gulf War. During Operation Desert Storm, ATA transported 108,000 troops between the USA and the Middle East. Because of its job during the first Gulf War, ATA was also contracted by the United States Department of Defense during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

By the mid-1990s, ATA expanded into the international leisure travel market with flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. Following the success of these, ATA focused on the United Kingdom carrying sun-seekers from Gatwick and Manchester airports to Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida.

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, ATA entered a period of financial hardship and had to declare bankruptcy. In 2004 the airline emerged from bankruptcy with a significantly reduced fleet after having agreed to sell its Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Southwest Airlines.

ATA ceased operations in 2008

Despite recovering from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, ATA failed to return to profitability due to the rising fuel costs and competition from low-cost carriers. ATA ended operations on April 2, 2008. According to the aviation statistics and date website, ch-aviation during its existence, ATA operated a fleet of 21 Boeing 757-200s.

• Boeing 757-200 registration N59AW went to the Star Flite International Corporation in 1998 and has been operational with the United States Air Force since 2004.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N513AT was converted into a freighter in 2016 and is listed as being active with DHL Air.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N514AT went to Kazakhstan Air Astana in November 2011.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N515AT was converted into a freighter in 2007 and is operated by India’s Blue Dart Aviation.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N516AT went to Talos Aviation in the British Virgin Islands in 2013 after being converted for VIP transport.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N517AT went to Jet2 in 2012 and is listed as being active.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N518ATwas converted into a freighter in 2015 and is operational with Blue Dart Aviation.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N519AT was converted into a freighter in 2015 and has been operational with DHL Air Austria since 2021.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N520AT was converted into a freighter in 2015 and has been operational with DHL Air Austria since 2021.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N521AT was converted into a freighter in 2012 and is operational with FedEx Express.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N522AT was converted into a freighter in 2016 and is operational with EAT Leipzig.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N523AT went to Freedom II LLC in 2021.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N524AT operating for Air Jamaica was scrapped after overrunning the runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) in 2018.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N525AT is currently listed as being stored by SF Airlines (ShunFeng Airlines)
• Boeing 757-200 registration N526AT is currently listed as being active with Icelandair since 2014.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N527AT is currently being stored at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) by AirSale Inc.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N528AT is currently being stored at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) by AirSale Inc.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N750AT was scrapped by Delta Air Lines in 2016.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N751AT was scrapped by Delta Air Lines in 2016.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N752AT was scrapped by Delta Air Lines in 2016.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N754AT is currently listed as being active with Tajik Air since 2008.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N755AT was converted to a freighter in 2009 and is listed as being currently active with FedEx Express.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N756AT was converted into a freighter in 2015 and is currently active with EAT Leipzig.
• Boeing 757-200 registration N757AT was scrapped by Delta Air Lines in 2015.

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