Atlas Air’s Passenger Aircraft

Atlas Air
is one of the world’s most famous cargo airlines. But, the airline does much more than just offer cargo services. It is the world’s largest operator of Boeing 747
aircraft and has the last 747 ever made in its fleet.

The airline’s website advertises,

“Long term or short term cargo and passenger solutions to meet your requirements – and exceed your expectations.”

Atlas’ services can be broken down into the following areas:

• Long Term Solutions
• Cargo
• Passenger Charters
• Dry Leasing
• Global Platform
• Technology

Long Term Solutions include dry leasing, ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance), and CMI (crew maintenance, and insurance). In cargo, several companies hire Atlas to operate on their behalf, like DHL Express and FedEx. Boeing’s Dreamlifters, specially modified 747s for transport of 787 Dreamliner parts, are also operated by Atlas.

The airline works with shippers, freight forwarders, manufacturers, sporting groups, and other organizations. The airline says, “…because we’re cargo experts, we can even take care of cargo loading and breakdown, even for special loads or outsized cargo.”

Related

Why Did Boeing Build The 747 Dreamlifter?

The outsized cargo giant flew for the first time in 2006.

Atlas has been providing passenger charters for nearly 15 years now. The airline uses 747s and 767s with VIP configurations. Atlas “offers the aircraft, the service, and the reliability to get your passengers where they need to be – safely, comfortably, and on-time.”

Titan Aviation Leasing is owned by Altas, and is a “freighter-centric leasing company focused on the acquisition, sale, dry leasing, sale-leaseback, marketing, and servicing of commercial aircraft and related equipment.” The company has a portfolio of more than $1 billion. Titan offers fleet planning, financing solutions, asset management, and passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversion management.

For all of its operations, Atlas has a 24-hour global control center, and has traffic rights, regulatory expertise, and in-country sales teams.

According to its website, Atlas has three aircraft types it uses for passenger services:

• Boeing 747-400 VIP / -400 VIP HD
• 747-400 HD
• 767-300HD

Boeing 747-400 VIP

• First class seats for the ultimate in luxury and service
• Business class seats for maximum privacy and comfort
• Economy class seats with a larger seat pitch than traditional carrier
• State-of-the-art in-flight Wi-Fi entertainment system with in-seat power
• Range: 7,285 nautical miles

This aircraft is capable of carrying sports teams and staff, rock bands, all staff, and “all types of customized corporate travel.” The -400VIP has 189 seats, 10 in first class, 143 in business class, and 36 in economy. Flights will be staffed with two to four pilots, depending on the length of the flight, and 16 flight attendants.

Photo: Atlas Air

In cargo, the plane is capable of carrying about 1,280 suitcases or 40 tons. Onboard WiFi is provided through GoGo 2KU connectivity. Every seat has inflight entertainment screens (IFE). Each cabin has a different size screen:

• First class: 15.5-inch monitor
• Business class: 12-inch monitor
• Economy: 9-inch monitor

Every seat is also equipped with power outlets.

Atlas has two dedicated passenger service representatives who handle all activities when booking passenger services.

“Direct involvement from our management team helps ensure a successful operation,” the carrier said.

Atlas’ top priority is safety, and it says it is among industry leaders when it comes to that. The size of its planes also set it apart from other charter companies. On the -400VIP Plus flights, Atlas has a team of specially trained flight attendants. The fleet includes five 747s dedicated to passenger flights, but only three of them have the VIP configuration. These two planes are registered as N263SG and N322SG, and entered into service in 1999 and 2000, respectively.

According to ch-aviation, All Nippon Airways (ANA) ordered N263SG in November 1997. The aircraft’s first flight was on March 4, 1999, and it was delivered to ANA on March 30th of that year. The Japanese carrier operated the aircraft for eight years, from 1999 until April 23, 2007.

At that time, it was picked up by Oasis Hong Kong Airlines and re-registered as B-LFC. Oasis only operated the plane for one year, and in July 2008, it was transferred to a US registration, which is the one the aircraft bears today, N263SG.

Photo: Atlas Air

Data shows that Atlas Air began operating the plane on April 1, 2010. Data from July 31, 2024 shows that the plane had a lifetime of 53,648 flight hours. Its average flight was seven hours and fifty minutes. It had also performed 6,847 flight cycles, averaging 269 annually.

N322SG, the second VIP -400 in Atlas’ fleet, bears manufacturer serial number 30322. ANA also ordered this plane, but in December 1999. Six months later, the plane flew its first flight before being delivered to ANA on June 28, 2000. ch-aviation shows that N322SG was in ANA’s fleet until October 29, 2007, when it was transferred to Oasis Hong Kong Airlines and registered as B-LFD. From July 2008 to May 2010, the aircraft was stored with an American registration. Atlas Air took ownership of N322SG on May 28, 2010, and has operated it since.

As of July 31st of this year, N322SG had 46,984 flight hours. The plane’s average flight is seven hours and nineteen minutes. Annually, the plane has flown an average of 1,946.78 hours. Operations with Atlas vary month-to-month as these planes are used for charter operations.

A breakdown of the first eight months of the year is below:

• January – 12 hours
• February – 2 hours
• March – 29 hours
• April – 43 hours
• May – 47 hours
• June – 42 hours
• July – 21 hours
• August – 42 hours

In February, the plane only operated one flight. The busiest month, by number of flights, was August, with 14 segments.

N480MC is the -400 VIP HD. This plane has 374 seats in a three-cabin configuration. There are 12 first class seats, 52 business class seats, and 310 in economy. This plane also has WiFi connectivity and inflight entertainment, but not at every seat. In economy, entertainment screens drop from the ceiling.

Photo: Atlas Air

United Airlines
ordered this plane in 1996. The first flight was on March 18th, and it was delivered 11 days later. The American carrier operated the 747 until October 2017. For two years, the 747 was stored, until Atlas picked it up in June 2019.

Related

See How The Miami Dolphins Travel In Style On Atlas Air’s Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet

The plane features primarily business class seats and galleys capable of producing four main course options at a time.

Boeing 747-400HD

• First Class seats for the ultimate in luxury and service
• Business and Premium Economy Class seats for additional privacy
• Economy class seats with a larger seat pitch than traditional carriers
• All seats are equipped with individual video screens and in-seat power
• Range: 7,285 nautical miles

The 747-400HD is a high-density aircraft with a capacity for 453 people. There are 14 first class seats, 64 premium economy seats, and 375 in economy. Similar to the VIP plane, the pilot crew can be between two and four people, but this plane only has up to 14 flight attendants. Atlas has two -400HDs in its fleet.

Photo: Atlas Air

The first is registered as N481MC. This 747-400 was ordered by Virgin Atlantic
in November 2000. The first fight was in May 2001, with the delivery taking place on May 29th. According to ch-aviation, Virgin operated the plane until November 3, 2009, before AeroSur took it. AeroSur operated the plane for less than three years before it returned to the Virgin fleet, where it remained until March 2020.

The plane was stored until December, when Atlas picked it up and began operating it with the N481MC registration. Despite being a nearly 24-year-old airframe, Collateral Verifications LLC values that plane at nearly $12 million. This 747 has more fight hours than the VIP configurations.

Data from July 31st shows the plane had 88,701 flight hours. With 11,428 flight cycles, this breaks down to seven hours and forty-six minutes per flight. Different from the VIP configuration, N481MC is used significantly and, according to ch-aviation, it operates for the United States Air Force (USAF).

Photo: Atlas Air

Below is a breakdown of the plane’s usage this year:

• January 19 hours
• February – 172 hours
• March – 115 hours
• April – 227 hours
• May – 128 hours
• June -159 hours
• July -43 hours
• August -27 hours

The other -400HD is N482MC, which was also delivered to Virgin in 2001. This aircraft also operated for the Air Force.

Boeing 767-300HD

• All economy class configurations with a larger seat pitch than traditional carriers
• 180-minute Extended Twin Engine Operations (ETOPS) FAA certification
• High-density seating offering excellent economies of scale
• Range: 3,999 nautical miles

Photo: Atlas Air

The 767-300s have the following registrations:

1. N640GT
2. N641GT
3. N645GT
4. N662GY
5. N664GT

These planes have an all-economy configuration but offer more seat pitch than most airlines. Each aircraft has a slightly different configuration, but most have about 240 seats.

The oldest 767 was manufactured and delivered on August 26, 1991. In the last 33 years, the plane has operated for the following carriers:

• EVA Air
• avianca airlines El Salvador
• Britannia Airways
• Brittania Airways AB
• Canadian Airlines
• Air Canada
• Air Madagascar
• TAM Linhas Aéreas
• Luzair
• Atlas Air

As of July 31st, N640GT had 98,928 flight hours and 21,135 cycles. The average flight time is four hours and forty-one minutes, and the average daily flight time is eight hours and twelve minutes.