After filing for Chapter 11 on April 2, 2008 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Indianapolis, IN, ATA Airlines has discontinued all operations and cancelled all current and future flights. The company released the following statement:

Following the loss of a key contract for our military charter business, it became impossible for ATA to continue operations. Unfortunately, we were not in a position to provide our customers or others with advance notice.

We apologize for the disruption caused by the sudden shutdown of ATA and regret the impact on passengers, employees, suppliers, and other parties. ATA customers should seek alternative arrangements for current and future travel. A list of other airlines serving ATA’s destinations is available here.

ATA customers who purchased tickets using a credit card should contact their credit card company or travel agency directly for information about how to obtain a refund for unused tickets.

ATA currently is unable to provide refunds to customers who purchased tickets directly from ATA with cash or a check. These customers may be able to obtain a full or partial refund for their unused tickets by submitting a claim in ATA’s Chapter 11 proceedings.

Customers who purchased tickets from Southwest Airlines for flights operated by ATA under the codeshare agreement should contact Southwest Airlines directly at (800) 308-5037.

• At the time of the shutdown, ATA had approximately 2,230 employees, including approximately 600 pilots, more than 800 flight attendants, and more than 100 mechanics. ATA had approximately 585 employees at its headquarters in Indianapolis.
 
• Aircraft Fleet: At the time of its shutdown, ATA operated 29 aircraft, many of which are leased. ATA operated Boeing 737-800s, Boeing 757-200s, Boeing 757-300s, DC10s and Lockheed L-1011s.
 
• Flight Routes/Cities Served: ATA was serving approximately 10,000 passengers per day at the time of its shutdown. At the time of the shutdown, ATA Airlines operated service from Chicago-Midway to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Oakland, Guadalajara and Cancun. ATA also operated service to Hawaii from Oakland, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas.