Southern Air

Big-picture snapshot

Southern Air no longer exists as a separate airline. It was fully merged into Atlas Air on November 17, 2021, when Atlas consolidated both carriers onto a single operating certificate. Former Southern Air pilots are now on the Atlas Air seniority list, flying Atlas aircraft under the Atlas Air brand.

If you are preparing for an Atlas Air interview and want to demonstrate knowledge of Atlas's history, understanding the Southern Air acquisition and integration is valuable context. See the Atlas Air report for comprehensive interview preparation.

History and merger timeline

• 1947: Southern Air Transport (predecessor) founded in Miami as a charter airline flying cargo to the Bahamas
• 1999: Southern Air (new entity) established March 5 by James Neff from the assets of Southern Air Transport; began operations November 1999
• 2007: Oak Hill Capital Partners acquired majority ownership; merged Cargo 360 into Southern Air
• 2011: Entered major multi-year contract with DHL Aviation for Boeing 777F wet-lease operations
• 2014: Expanded Boeing 737-400 and 737-800BCF operations for DHL
• 2016: Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings purchased Southern Air for $110 million (all-cash deal, April 7)
• 2019: Atlas/Southern seniority integration process completed after contentious arbitration
• 2021: Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) ratified for merged Atlas/Southern pilot group (September); Southern Air operating certificate merged into Atlas Air (November 17) — Southern Air ceased to exist

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