Atlas Air to move 10 jobs to Kentucky

Atlas Air Worldwide plans to move about 10 operations jobs to Kentucky from its base in Purchase.

The company notified employees on Friday that an operating certificate was being moved to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Florence, Ky.

Atlas acquired Southern Air Holdings, based in Florence, for $110 million in April.

“To enhance services to our customers and to capitalize on business and operational opportunities associated with our acquisition,” company spokesman Bonnie Rodney said in an email to the Westchester County Business Journal, “we are transferring one of our operations functions to Florence from Purchase.”

She said more jobs could move back and forth as the company integrates operations with Southern.

Atlas operates a cargo airline, passenger charter service and aircraft leasing service. It operates about 80 aircraft, including the world”™s largest fleet of Boeing 747 freighter aircraft. Southern had mostly Boeing 777 and 737 aircraft.

Atlas recently made a deal with Amazon to lease and operate 20 Boeing 767 aircraft for Amazon”™s Prime Air livery. Atlas also provides aircraft to DHL Express.

Atlas was founded in 1992 and has been based in Westchester since 2000. The corporate headquarters is at 2000 Westchester Ave. in Purchase.

When Atlas renewed its lease in 2011, it pledged to create 50 new full-time jobs in New York and to stay in New York for ten years. It received $8.5 million in benefits from the state Excelsior Job Program, up to $480,000 in energy credits and $442,000 in sales tax exemptions from the county.

“We are committed to keeping our headquarters in Westchester County for the foreseeable future,” Rodney said.

Atlas scheduled a meeting with union members for Sept. 6 to discuss questions about the move. The Airline Professionals Association Teamsters Local 1224 represents Atlas employees.