American Trans Air Receives First and Second Boeing 757-300s

    SEATTLE, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boeing Company (NYSE:   BA) has
 successfully delivered two 757-300s to American Trans Air, Inc. (ATA) marking
 the premiere 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. (Nasdaq:   AMTR), is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the
 symbol "AMTR."  For more information, visit the Web site at www.ata.com.
 
                      MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here
                http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X13785060
 
 

SOURCE  The Boeing Company