Flynn retiring as Atlas CEO, with Dietrich to assume the role in 2020

Today, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings announced that President and Chief Executive Officer William Flynn will retire from the company at the end of this year. Flynn will become chairman of the board upon his retirement.  

Atlas’ current Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, John Dietrich, will take Flynn’s place. Dietrich has been appointed president of the company effective immediately and will assume Flynn’s CEO role upon his retirement. The current Chairman of the Board, Robert Agnew, will become the board’s lead independent director when Flynn steps into his new role.   

Under Flynn’s leadership, Atlas Air has seen significant growth among its subsidiary carriers and its freighter leasing arm, Titan Aviation Holdings. The company has successfully capitalized on growing e-commerce operations as one of the primary operators of Amazon Air carriers, the companies’ carriers were flying forty-three 767Fs on routes consistent with the Amazon Air network in December. Atlas has since also begun operating Amazon’s new fleet of 737-800BCFs on lease from GECAS through its Southern Air subsidiary. 

The company has grown its CMI and ACMI business outside of its expansive operations for Amazon, as well. In January, Atlas announced the expansion of its agreement with Nippon Airlines (NCA) to operate NCA’s three 747-400 freighters on a CMI basis.  In recent months, subsidiary Atlas Air also started flying a 747-400F for Asiana Cargo, the cargo arm of South Korea-based carrier Asiana Airlines – the third of the type that Atlas added for the carrier in as many years.  

Outside of the 747 platform, last month, Atlas secured a contract with DHL Express to operate the first two of at least fourteen, and up to twenty-one, 777-200Fs the express integrator has on order with Boeing [FATs 004505-4525]. Atlas’s affiliate carriers will have an opportunity to operate the remaining twelve 777Fs on order with Boeing as they are delivered, Atlas said in a statement, but DHL has not designated an operator yet. 

You can learn more about Atlas’ operations from 16-18 October at Cargo Facts Symposium in San Diego, where EVP and Chief Commercial Officer Michael Steen will join a panel discussion on the future of widebody freighters. For more information or to register, visit CargoFactsSymposium.com.