Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings is on a pace for a record year

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (New York) announced sharply higher revenues and earnings for the third quarter of 2010, reflecting strong commercial airfreight demand; tight supply of wide-body, long-haul freighter aircraft; continued high ACMI aircraft utilization; and a significant increase in commercial charter volumes and rates.

For the three months ended September 30, 2010, AAWW’s net income rose 130% to $33.8 million, or $1.29 per diluted share, on revenues of $326.7 million and pretax earnings of $55.2 million. Solid operating and financial results for the quarter compared with net income of $14.7 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, on revenues of $255.5 million and pretax earnings of $21.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2009.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, AAWW recorded net income of $100.3 million, or $3.85 per diluted share, on revenues of $978.1 million and pretax earnings of $170.8 million. In 2009, AAWW’s nine-month net income totaled $49.4 million, or $2.35 per diluted share, on revenues of $740.0 million and pretax earnings of $78.0 million.

Excluding one-time items, adjusted net income in the first nine months of 2010 increased 167% to $108.7 million, or $4.17 per diluted share, compared with $40.8 million, or $1.94 per diluted share, in the first nine months of 2009. Pretax earnings for the first nine months of 2010 included a net expense of $16.2 million for legal settlements, partly offset by an $8.8 million litigation settlement receipt and a gain of $3.5 million on disposal of aircraft assets. Pretax earnings for the first nine months of 2009 included benefits of $10.0 million for the effective early termination of a contract, $2.7 million for a gain on the early extinguishment of debt, and $1.0 million on the disposal of aircraft assets.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. wholly owns Atlas Air (New York), Polar Air Cargo (51%) and a share of Global Supply Systems (49%).

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