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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): January 8, 2004

                               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 promotion of William F.
O'Donnell to the position of Senior Vice President of Human Resources.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(C) Exhibits.

    99.1 Press Release dated January 8, 2004.

                                   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: January 22, 2004                     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 January 8, 2004

           William F. O'Donnell Promoted to Senior Vice President of
                               ATA Holdings Corp.

INDIANAPOLIS,  January  8, 2004 - ATA  Holdings  Corp.,  parent  company  of ATA
Airlines (ATA Airlines,  Inc.,  NASDAQ:  ATAH),  today announced that William F.
O'Donnell  has been  promoted to the position of Senior Vice  President of Human
Resources.  In this role, O'Donnell will continue to oversee all human resources
and organizational development activities for the nation's 10th largest airline,
as well as serving on the company's  Executive  Committee - its core  management
team.

"Bill's expertise and leadership have been crucial to the growth and recovery of
this airline," said George Mikelsons,  ATA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
"His tremendous  background and extensive  knowledge of organizational  dynamics
have made him an  invaluable  asset to our  management  team.  He has been a key
player in all of ATA's decisions."

Since  arriving at ATA,  O'Donnell has been  instrumental  in  establishing  and
implementing several  cost-effective and efficient processes and procedures.  He
oversaw  the  restructuring  of  the  company's  benefits  programs,  introduced
procedures  for  new  hire-recruiting  assessments,  established  organizational
development functions to oversee training and performance management, and helped
the company to incorporate an employee "self-service" philosophy,  which made it
possible for employees to be more  self-sufficient by utilizing the employee web
site for benefits enrollment, information changes, etc.

O'Donnell  has  over 25 years  of  experience  in  progressive  human  resources
administration and consulting, 18 of which were with William M. Mercer, Inc., an
international  human resource  consulting firm.  While with Mercer,  he spent 10
years as head of  Mercer's  Indianapolis  office  and headed  their  Minneapolis
office before joining ATA in August of 2001.

Now  celebrating  its 30th year of operation,  ATA Airlines is the nation's 10th
largest  passenger  carrier  based  on  revenue  passenger  miles.  ATA  has the
youngest, most fuel-efficient fleet among the major carriers,  featuring the new
Boeing 737-800 and 757-300 aircraft.  The airline operates significant scheduled
service from Chicago-Midway, Hawaii, Indianapolis, New York and San Francisco to
over 40  business  and  vacation  destinations.  Stock of the parent  company is
traded on the Nasdaq Stock  Market under the symbol  "ATAH." To learn more about
the company, visit the web site at www.ata.com.

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