ATLAS AIR ANNOUNCES FLIGHT CREW FURLOUGHS

ATLAS AIR ANNOUNCES FLIGHT CREW FURLOUGHS    Atlas Air Inc. said Friday it will furlough 40 crew members in response to softened demand for heavy lift air services. The air carrier said the furlough, effective May 1, could ultimately include up to 170 crew members, depending on market conditions.
   In order to provide sufficient time to retrain crew members reassigned to different equipment, the furlough will be phased in a 13-month period.
   “While we continue to see signs of an economic recovery, it is only prudent to more closely match our crew staffing levels to the current level of activity in the market,” said Richard Schuyler, chief executive officer of Atlas Air.
   Atlas Air employs about 1,100, of which nearly three-fourths are pilots and flight engineers. The carrier is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc., and is a United States certified air carrier.