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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934


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       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 13, 2003

                               ATA Holdings Corp.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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       Indiana                           000-21642               35-1617970
(State or other jurisdiction     (Commission File Number)     (I.R.S. Employer
   of incorporation)                                      Identification Number)


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7337 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, Indiana                                          46231

(Address of principal executive offices)                    (zip code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (317) 247-4000

                                       N/A
          (Former name or former address, if changes since last report)

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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

     Attached hereto, and incorporated  herein by reference in its entirety,  as
Exhibit 99.1 is a copy of a press  release  announcing  the ATA  Holdings  Corp.
extension of exchange offers for 10 1/2 percent notes due 2004 and 9 5/8 percent
notes due 2005.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(C) Exhibits.

    99.1 Press Release dated October 13, 2003.

                                   SIGNATURES

           Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                            ATA Holdings Corp.

Date: October 13, 2003            By:      /s/ David M. Wing
                                           -----------------

                                           Name: David M. Wing
                                           Title: Executive Vice President & CFO

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.                Description of the Exhibit

99.1                       Press Release dated October 13, 2003

Investor Relations Contacts:
   David M. Wing, Chief Financial Officer (317) 240-7087
   Kevin Burnett, Investor Relations Specialist (877) 834-0606
       investor.relations@iflyata.com
Media Contact: Angela Thomas (317) 240-7518
      public.relations@iflyata.com

   ATA Holdings Corp. Extends Exchange Offers for 10 1/2 Percent Notes Due 2004
                          and 9 5/8 Percent Notes Due 2005


     INDIANAPOLIS,  October  13,  2003  - ATA  Holdings  Corp.  (the  "Company")
(NASDAQ:  ATAH),  the parent company of ATA Airlines,  Inc., today announced the
extension of its offers to exchange (the "Exchange Offers"):

o    newly issued 11 percent  Senior Notes due 2009 (the "2009  Notes") and cash
     consideration  for any and all of the $175  million  outstanding  principal
     amount of its 10 1/2 percent Senior Notes due 2004 (the "2004 Notes"); and

o    newly issued 10 1/8 percent  Senior Notes due 2010  (together with the 2009
     Notes, the "New Notes") and cash  consideration for any and all of the $125
     million outstanding  principal amount of its 9 5/8 percent Senior Notes due
     2005 (the "2005 Notes" and,  together  with the 2004 Notes,  the  "Existing
     Notes").

     As part of the Exchange Offers,  the Company is also seeking  solicitations
of consents to amend the indentures  under which the Existing Notes were issued.
The Company has extended  the  expiration  date of the  Exchange  Offers until 5
p.m., New York City Time, on October 24, 2003,  unless  further  extended by the
Company.  In  addition,  the Company has  extended  the  deadline for holders of
Existing  Notes to deliver  consents and receive the consent  payment to October
24, 2003, unless further extended by the Company.

     The  Company is  currently  in  discussions  with a group of holders of the
Existing Notes with respect to their  participation in the Exchange Offers,  and
it has extended the Exchange Offers to facilitate these discussions.

     The withdrawal  deadline for the Exchange  Offers has expired,  and tenders
with  respect to any  Existing  Notes that have  already  been  tendered  or are
subsequently  tendered  may not be  withdrawn.  The other terms of the  Exchange
Offers  remain  unchanged,  and they are  subject  to a  number  of  significant
conditions, including but not limited to receiving valid tenders representing at
least 85  percent  in  principal  amount of each  series of  Existing  Notes and
receiving the consent of the Air Transportation  Stabilization Board pursuant to
the  Company's   government-guaranteed  term  loan.  As  of  October  10,  2003,
$11,510,000  principal amount of 2004 Notes and $29,550,000  principal amount of
2005 Notes had been tendered and not withdrawn in the Exchange Offers.

     The  Exchange  Offers  are  being  made  pursuant  to  the  exemption  from
registration  provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the  "Securities  Act").  The New Notes offered in the Exchange Offers have not
been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities
laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent  registration or
applicable  exemption from the  registration  requirements of the Securities Act
and any applicable state  securities laws. This  announcement is not an offer to
exchange,  a solicitation  of an offer to exchange or a solicitation  of tenders
with  respect to any 2004 Notes or 2005  Notes,  nor is this an offer to sell or
the  solicitation  of an offer to buy any New Notes in any  state in which  such
offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.