Media Contacts:
Erica Keane or Laura Novak
(212) 885-0322 / (212) 885-0331 Erica.Keane@HillandKnowlton.com
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Investor Relations Contact:
Roxanne Butler, Investor Relations Specialist
(317) 282-2659
investor.relations@iflyata.com
                                                          For Immediate Release


                 ATA Holdings Fills Chief Financial Officer and
                        Other Senior Management Positions


INDIANAPOLIS,  January 14, 2005--ATA Holdings Corp. (ATAHQ) announced today that
it has named  Gilbert F. Viets to the position of Executive  Vice  President and
Chief  Financial  Officer (CFO).  Viets had served as ATA's Chief  Restructuring
Officer and replaces  David Wing,  who left ATA to pursue  other  opportunities.
Viets  led  the  preparations  for  ATA's  Chapter  11  filing,  and  has  since
coordinated the Company's  reorganization  efforts. Viets' responsibilities will
include ATA's  restructuring,  finance,  accounting,  treasury,  internal audit,
strategic planning and information services areas.

Viets first served as Executive  Vice President and CFO of the Company from June
2004 to October 2004 until he was  appointed  Chief  Restructuring  Officer from
October  2004 to January  2005.  He is a director  of the  Company and served as
Chairman  of the  Audit  Committee  from  May 2003 to June  2004.  He was also a
clinical professor in the Systems and Accounting Program of the Kelley School of
Business at Indiana University,  Bloomington, Indiana. Viets, a Certified Public
Accountant,  was with Arthur  Andersen LLP for 35 years before retiring in 2000.
He graduated from Washburn University of Topeka in Kansas. He has been active in
numerous civic  organizations and presently serves on the finance  committees of
St. Vincent Hospital and Healthcare  Center,  Inc. and St. Vincent Health,  both
located in Indianapolis.

Other Management Announcements at ATA Holdings Corp.:

Sean G. Frick,  named Vice  President  of Strategic  Planning in 2004,  will add
duties as ATA's  Chief  Restructuring  Officer  and will  continue  to report to
Viets. Frick, who joined ATA in 1997, had been Director of Strategic Planning.

Richard W. Meyer,  Jr., has been  promoted to Senior Vice  President of Employee
Relations.  Meyer,  who joined  ATA in 1989,  had been Vice  President  of Labor
Relations.  Meyer's new position  combines the functions of human  resources and
labor relations for all of ATA's work groups.

Brian T. Hunt, Vice President and General  Counsel,  has been promoted to Senior
Vice President and General Counsel.  Hunt, who joined ATA in 1990, is also ATA's
Corporate Secretary.

Wisty B. Malone,  named Vice President and  Controller in 2003,  will now assume
additional  responsibility as ATA's Treasurer.  Malone,  who joined ATA in 1995,
had previously been Director of Financial Reporting.


Featuring Business Class, leather seats, in-flight  entertainment,  and easy web
check-in,  ATA  Airlines  has grown into the  nation's  10th  largest  passenger
carrier  (based on  revenue  passenger  miles) and one of the  nation's  largest
low-fare carriers. ATA has one of the youngest, most fuel-efficient fleets among
the major carriers,  featuring new Boeing 737-800 and 757-300  aircraft.  Now in
its 32nd year of operation,  ATA remains a dominant  airline at Indianapolis and
Chicago-Midway  with  significant  scheduled  service  to over 30  business  and
vacation destinations. For more information, visit www.ata.com.

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