Area Development
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc. will move its operations center from Florence to Erlanger, Kentucky. The company plans to invest $34.1 million and create 593 full-time jobs.

Headquartered in Purchase, New York, Atlas Air Worldwide provides outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services to global customers. Its subsidiaries include Atlas Air Inc., Southern Air Holdings Inc. and Titan Aviation Holdings Inc. The company also is the majority shareholder of Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc. In addition to its New York headquarters, the company also maintains training and operating facilities in Miami, Fla. Atlas employs more than 3,000 people globally.

Atlas will build an operations center near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) to better support its customers at CVG.

The company currently operates in nearby Florence, where it employs 318 people, including 182 Kentuckians. Those employees will relocate to the new site upon its anticipated completion in 2021.

“Kentucky has established itself as a leading global logistics center, and we are thrilled to expand our operations in this thriving area,” said William J. Flynn, CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide. “Our new operations center in Erlanger will enable us to continue to deliver high-quality services to our customers and support their growing global networks. We look forward to the development of a modern, state-of-the-art facility that will foster a great sense of pride with our existing and future employees.”

To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) on Thursday preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $15 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets. In addition, Atlas can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network.

“Atlas is a premier leader and employer in the air cargo industry, and we are grateful that the company is expanding its operations within this critical North American logistics hub,” Governor Matt Bevin said. “With unparalleled advantages in geography, infrastructure, workforce and economic climate, the commonwealth is an ideal partner to help dynamic companies like Atlas deliver on their mission.”

Rep. Adam Koenig, of Erlanger, said; “This large-scale expansion by Atlas Air is the latest sign that our economy is booming and jobs are being created at a rapid rate in Northern Kentucky. Amazon’s billion-dollar investment in our region is producing more and more opportunities for businesses like Atlas to expand and create jobs, like the nearly 600 new jobs being announced today. This is great news for our community and speaks volumes about the pro-business policies coming out of Frankfort.”

Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette said, “The proposed location will give them easy access to not only the airport but I-75, and I-275.”

Lee Crume, President & CEO of Northern Kentucky Tri-ED said, “As DHL and Amazon further define the region as a global air logistics leader, we will continue to build and attract new supporting companies to complement the industry’s expansion. Northern Kentucky provides the talent and infrastructure for critical operations and a best-in-class facility in CVG.”