Safety
Recently our business partner DHL has asked for our help in getting the word out regarding two aircraft ramp safety concerns: the wearing of Hi-Vis Vests and the control of FOD.

As you know, an aircraft ramp can be a fast-paced, high-traffic, congested environment, with moving aircraft, equipment, vehicles and people. When you add to that mix either bad weather or darkness, then there are many opportunities for accidents or injury. Our first concern is to avoid injury to any person working on or visiting the aircraft ramp. If you are that person, it’s important that you remain constantly aware of your situation and surroundings so you can avoid being in the path of any moving equipment. It’s equally important that the operators of ramp equipment can see you, so they can avoid you. The best way to be visible to others who are operating equipment on the ramp is to wear Hi-Vis clothing or reflective vests. This is not just a good idea; it’s required by DHL throughout their network for all persons working in and around the aircraft ramp environment.

A recent check showed that some aircraft ramp areas are starting to accumulate FOD (Foreign Object Debris, or Foreign Object Damage). The FAA defines FOD as: Any object, live or not, located in an inappropriate location in the airport environment that has the capacity to injure airport or air carrier personnel and damage aircraft. FOD can include things like nuts, bolts, washers, safety wire, aircraft parts, tire fragments, mechanics' tools, catering supplies, personnel badges, pens, pencils, luggage tags, water bottles, plastic debris from freight pallets, concrete and asphalt chunks, etc.

FOD can severely injure ramp workers or damage equipment. Types of potential damage include: cutting aircraft tires; being ingested into engines; or becoming lodged in mechanisms affecting flight operations. Personnel injuries or even death can occur when jet blast propels FOD through the airport environment at high velocities.

FOD control is mandated by the FAA, but it also makes good economic sense. It is estimated that FOD damage to aircraft costs the aviation industry $4.4 billon annually. The cost to repair a FOD-damaged aircraft engine can easily exceed $1 million. FOD also can have extensive indirect costs, including flight delays and cancellations, schedule disruptions, and potential liability because of injury. DHL is increasing their emphasis on FOD prevention by fitting ramp tugs with strong magnets to remove loose metal from the drive lanes and around the aircraft, placing FOD buckets on each crew stair, performing more regular sweeping of all ramp areas, and addressing FOD prevention with ramp employees. All of us who work on or visit the aircraft ramps need to do our part by cleaning as we go, picking up any loose debris, ensuring that items placed in receptacles are secured, and actively participating in pre-ops and post-ops FOD checks. FOD control is everyone’s job!

Compliance
In the compliance area ABX recently completed two successful audits by outside agencies. ATSG conducted an I-9 audit, checking our compliance with performing certain pre-employment verifications and background checks and maintaining the associated records. The I-9 audit showed no significant findings. Also, the TSA performed their annual corporate audit of ABX’s cargo and aircraft security procedures and records, with no findings or observations. Hats off to the many persons in various departments who help to keep us in compliance.

Our People
Employee anniversaries for August include Capt. Larry Cavazos with 30 years of service, Manager of Maintenance Control Dave McFarlane with 25 years, Line Maintenance Representative (ORD) Scott Greenfield with 15 years, and Reliability Analyst Craig McKenzie with 1 year.

ATSG Investor Conference Call
ATSG will host an investor conference call to review its financial results for the second quarter, ended June 30, 2012. The call is on Friday, August 3, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. Visit the ATSG web site for more information about listening to or participating in the call.

That’s all the news for this week. Thank you for all you continue to do for our Company.

John Starkovich's INFOline  |  July 19, 2012
Good afternoon. This is John Starkovich with the ABX INFOline for July 19, 2012.

Safety
There were no OSHA cases filed for the 2nd quarter 2012 nor were there any reported incidents of lasers being aimed at ABX aircraft or our pilots.

Fatigue Risk Management processed four Fatigue Assessment reports for flight crewmembers calling off due to fatigue. Two of the events involved hotel issues; one was a scheduling change and one involved failure to properly manage rest.

Compliance
For the second quarter there were 13 internal audits scheduled and completed, 11 external audits, and 18 Ramp and 18 Station audit events conducted.

ABX Air recently had two federal agency audits that were favorably completed. One was an FAA dangerous goods inspection of the DHL/ABX operation in Newark, and the other was a TSA security inspection in Seattle (BFI) and Los Angeles (LAX).

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of June, subject to verification, was 97.94 percent. For the month of July to date, we are at 98.20 percent.

ABX is currently working on the logistics and obtaining the necessary permits and approvals for handling DHL flights into Mexico City in September and adding the city of Queretrero onto an existing route. Both are to be flown by aircraft that are already in service for DHL.

On July 12, 2012, ATSG CEO Joe Hete attended the opening of the DHL Express North Asia Hub in Shanghai. According to various news articles, this $175 million hub is the largest express hub in Asia. DP-DHL chief executive Frank Appel said that the hub “is a logistics milestone in DHL’s Asia Pacific network and the culmination of a multi-hub and aviation strategy that cements our leadership position in terms of connections, convenience and cost-effectiveness.” Jerry Hsu, CEO of DHL Express Asia-Pacific, said: “In Asia, some GDP growth numbers have been revised downward, but we are growing faster than GDP rates, the market, and our competitors. China is double-digit. India is high. Japan is bouncing back. Southeast Asia is doing well.” The Hub utilizes technologies designed to reduce its carbon footprint including energy efficient lighting, solar-powered hot water system, and an energy saving device that allows certain components to go into sleep mode automatically when not being used. DHL also advised of its intention to add eight dedicated aircraft to service high demand routes between Shanghai and North Asia, Europe, and the US.

In my last INFOline, I mentioned the new paint livery that was agreed upon for aircraft 220CY which is one of the 767-300’s. I am pleased to advise that 220 has now entered service for DHL and is expected to be placed on the Cincinnati (CVG) to Los Angeles (LAX) route.

Other News & Information
DHL Express Americas recently announced the appointment of Shawn Pandorf as Manager of International DG Hotline effective July 21, 2012. The name may sound familiar because Shawn worked for ABX from 1985 to 1994 and from 2003 to 2008, with the majority of her time spent in managing the Hazardous Materials department. She will be reporting to Steve Elkins, the Director of Network Air operations and Compliance for DHL. Our congratulations to Shawn.

Steps for making a new hangar possible here at the air park continue to progress. It was reported in the Wilmington News Journal that Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is being seriously considered by the city and school officials with the intention of the city of Wilmington to pledge some of the income tax revenue that the city will receive from employees at the new hangar to the city schools.

That is all for this week's INFOline. Thank you for all you do to make ABX a success. Take care.

Jeff Walling's INFOline  |  July 5, 2012
Hello, this is Jeff Walling, Manager of Human Resources, with the ABX Air INFOline update for Thursday, July 5, 2012.

Safety
Last Friday’s derecho is a good reminder that everyone should be prepared for a natural disaster hitting home. A “derecho” is a rare, widespread, and long-lasting wind storm caused by a line of fast moving and severe thunderstorms that travels a great distance. The word “derecho” is derived from the Spanish word for “straight” to distinguish the straight-line winds from tornados. The June 29 derecho started near Fort Wayne, Indiana, and traveled over 700 miles across Ohio and West Virginia, before spreading into Virginia, Maryland, and southern New Jersey. The storms had wind gusts in excess of 80 mph blowing down trees and knocking out electrical power to millions of families. At least 23 people lost their lives in the storm. Even today, a week after the storm, it’s reported several hundred thousand people are without electricity.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that everyone have a disaster supply kit at the ready that would allow you and your family to survive at least three (3) days without basic services. Depending upon where you live and the potential natural disasters in your area, you may want to have more than a three-day supply. The FEMA web site, www.fema.gov, has helpful recommendations about building your own disaster supply kit, as well as excellent information about preparing for natural disasters.

Company News
In company news, ABX recently mailed Total Compensation reports to full-time and part-time employees. These reports are designed to not only report the direct compensation you earned in 2011, but also to highlight the value of your benefits package. The value of your benefits is often overlooked and adds significant value to your total pay package. Be sure to take a look at your personalized report. If you have any questions about your report, please ask someone in Human Resources.

Healthy Directions
Our wellness program, Healthy Directions, just completed its second quarter. We are in the process of tallying the activities of the participants to find out who achieved the third quarter health insurance discount. You need 462,000 steps during the second quarter to qualify for the discount.

I’d like to share a personal testimonial about our wellness program. I started the Fitbit program in late December, and I was surprised to learn I was averaging just 4,000 steps a day. The Fitbit has helped me increase my exercise activity. During the second quarter I averaged around 9,000 steps a day and even earned the 20,000 daily step badge for the first time in May. I’ve also used the Fitbit web site to help improve my diet. As a result, I’ve lost weight, too. Overall, I feel better. The Fitbit really works.

If you don’t have a Fitbit and would like one, contact Beth Allen in Human Resources, ext. 62157. More information about the Fitbit and Healthy Directions can be found on MyABX.com. 

Industry News
In industry news, FedEx Express announced the purchase of 19 Boeing 767-300 aircraft, which is in addition to an earlier order for 27 aircraft of the same type. FedEx plans to use the 767s to replace aging Airbus A310 and McDonnell-Douglas MD-10 aircraft. FedEx noted in their press release that the new aircraft would provide a 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over the retiring airplanes. Delivery is expected between 2015 and 2019.

Our People
In People news, I would like to congratulate Capt. Adrian Ruddle who is celebrating 35 years of service with the Company this July. Also, congratulations to Capt. Kevin Sullivan, who is celebrating 30 years of service. Celebrating their silver anniversaries are Manager of Engineering Joe Freese and First Officer Mark Wentz. Celebrating 20 years of service is Manager of Maintenance Services Tim Hopkins, and celebrating 15 years of service is Melissa Woolum of the Information Services department. If you see or speak with these folks this month, be sure to congratulate them.

Finally, two long-service employees recently announced their retirements. Lynn Bare in the Accounting Dept. recently retired after 23 years with the company. Lynn started her career as a line service attendant pumping fuel. Besides working in the Accounting department, she also worked in System Contingency, Logistics, Ground Operations as a sort supervisor, and Cartage to name a few of the positions she held over the years. Congratulations, Lynn, on your retirement!

Also retiring is Mike Ebert of Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services (AMES). Mike began his career 38 years ago – way back in 1974 – with Midwest Air Charter and was one of original line maintenance representatives based at the ATL station. Later he moved to Wilmington and was the manager of heavy maintenance for the Caravelle aircraft. In the Airborne Express era, Mike held key leadership positions in Line Maintenance. Mike played a significant role in helping our airline grow in the ‘80s, ‘90s and '00s while ensuring on-time service to our customers. More recently, Mike helped transition the ABX Aircraft Maintenance department into AMES. Mike, congratulations on your retirement!

I wish both Lynn and Mike all the best.

Well, that’s all I have for this week. John Starkovich will be back in two weeks with the next INFOline update. Thanks for listening, and remember to stay safe and drink plenty of water during this heat wave.

John Starkovich's INFOline  |  June 21, 2012
Good afternoon. This is John Starkovich with the ABX INFOline for June 21, 2012.

Safety
It is definitely summertime in Ohio. This week has seen a series of days in the upper 80’s so it is time to remind everyone to stay hydrated and avoid excessive heat. [Heat Stress safety training]

Compliance
In past INFOlines, you will recall that I have mentioned the Safety Management System (SMS). It is a top-down business approach to manage safety risks. The ABX executive team attended familiarization and training sessions on June 20 and 21 with members of the FAA certificate management team out of the Detroit office and the Washington D.C. FAA SMS Team. The program covered the basic principles of SMS and a preliminary gap analysis was completed. A gap analysis is simply a review of our current safety programs to see what may be missing or what “gaps” may be present. The next step is to do a detailed gap analysis and then follow through with identified changes and implementation.

By letters dated June 14, 2012, ABX was advised by the FAA that the ABX line stations in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Kansai International Airport (KIX) in Japan both successfully passed third quarter Element Performance Inspections under the Air Transport Oversight System.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL so far this quarter, subject to verification, is 98.28 percent. For the month of June to date, we are at 98.07 percent.

Many of you are familiar with the grey-colored uniforms worn by our flight crewmembers. That is in the process of being changed. The new uniform color is going to be a dark navy with silver braiding. There will be two neckties. One will have a patriotic-themed pattern and the other will be a navy blue tie with a runway “A” pattern. The unique grey uniforms have served us well but that uniqueness came with a higher cost, and it was determined that changing to a fresh new color made sense. The Flight Department worked closely with the Union Uniform Committee, and we thank them for their input and participation in the effort. The changeover is expected to take place in the 4th quarter.

On June 18, 2012, our holding company, ATSG, filed what is called a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission to advise the general public that it has amended its preferred stock rights plan to permit all shareholders to purchase up to 17.49 percent of the company stock, and in conjunction with that change ATSG also amended its agreement with Red Mountain Capital Partners LLC to allow for certain changes in the parties' Confidentiality and Standstill Agreement dated February 3, 2009. Red Mountain is one of our largest shareholders and the amended agreement allows Red Mountain to increase their holdings from 14.9 percent to 17.49 percent of ATSG’s outstanding common shares. The increase was made contingent on a requirement that Red Mountain vote any of the shares in excess of 14.9 percent in accordance with the Board of Directors’ publicly stated recommendations. Please refer to the filing itself for the details of the amendment and other matters.

As many of you already know, DHL has agreed to deploy one of our 767-300’s into its domestic system on the CVG-to-LAX route. The aircraft was originally scheduled to be painted all white with ABX markings. However, during a business meeting between Joe Hete and DHL Executives Neil Ferguson and Red Alexander, the paint livery of the aircraft was discussed. After working through the details, it was determined that the aircraft will have the familiar DHL yellow and red on the front half and remain white on the back portion. The aircraft is due back from paint this week so you may see it on the ramp here in ILN. My thanks and appreciation to the folks in Maintenance that made the paint change happen; this airplane was at the vendor being prepped for paint when the change was requested, so it was literally a last-minute request.

Other News & Information
The latest tenant at Wilmington Air Park is Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). SAIC will occupy Hangar 1024. It provides scientific and technical services to the US government and selected commercial markets and is regarded as a substantial player in the unmanned aerial vehicle industry. The Wilmington News Journal reported that SAIC has a 3-month lease with the Clinton County Port Authority.

On May 24, 2012, Deutsche Post DHL CEO Frank Appel and DHL Express CEO Ken Allen each made a presentation during Capital Markets Day. Mr. Appel’s presentation highlighted Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Mexico as the most relevant markets for long-term DHL growth. It also pointed to double-digit growth in Asia-Pacific and the Americas for DHL Express. Mr. Allen’s presentation focused on the successful execution of their three-year plan, and their defending and strengthening DHL’s number one position in the international time definite express business.

That is all for this week's INFOline. Thank you for all you do to make ABX a success. Take care.

Jan Woolums' INFOline  |  June 7, 2012
Good afternoon. This is Jan Woolums with the ABX INFOline for June 7, 2012.

Safety
In Ohio alone, there were 31,231 accidents that were caused by distracted driving between 2009 and 2011. Texting or receiving a text message takes about 4.6 seconds, which at 55 mph is equivalent to driving the length of a football field. Seeing these statistics only confirms that the banning of texting and driving is needed. Just this week it was announced that Ohio will become the 39th state in the nation to ban texting while driving. Ohio’s ban on texting while driving passed in the legislature and is awaiting the governor’s signature. House Bill 99 would ban writing, sending, or reading a text message on a handheld electronic wireless communication device while driving. The governor has indicated that he will sign the bill. The ban will go into effect 90 days following the governor’s signature. However, drivers will have a six-month grace period. A violation of HB99 will be a secondary offense for adults and a primary offense for drivers under the age of 18. A person found in violation will be fined $150 and suspended license for 60 days. A repeated violation could result in a $300 fine and a one-year suspension of license. Once the bill passes, HB 99 would require employers to have a written policy banning texting while driving when employees are working.

Another leading cause of accident or injury is fatigue. Fatigue is a real problem that affects everyone. Here at ABX we spend a lot of time addressing this issue with the flight crews due to the nature of their work, but it also affects mechanics, professional load masters, dispatchers, and all levels of management. This month’s edition of the ABX SafetyLine offers a link to the FAA video entitled Grounded, and the first-rate Fatigue Countermeasures Training. Please take the time to check this out.

Compliance
One of the issues that we’ve much improved on is our noise signature at Stansted. Steve Janasov, ABX Safety Director, received a report today concerning the statistics for May. ABX was 10 for 10 off runway 4, 12 for 12 off of 22, for 100 percent compliance. Thanks to the Safety Committee and Flight Standards in resolving this issue with some improved procedures and to our crews for executing this plan well. Keep up the good work!

Company News
Moving on to company news, I would like to start by recognizing and thanking several employees for their long-time service to the company. Celebrating 35 years with the company is Capt. Bob Cirka and Capt. Rick Ziebarth, along with Paul Smith who is celebrating 25 years. Two 15-year employees celebrating June anniversaries are Stephen Ley and Greg McDowell. Again thank you for all your years of support with the company.

Just this week, ATSG announced that its ABX Air subsidiary has deployed two Boeing 767 freighter aircraft under short-term ACMI arrangements in support of the DHL U.S. air network. Joe Hete, President and CEO of ATSG, said, “Our strong, long-term relationship with DHL is based in part on our ability to meet both its short- and long-term requirements for access to efficient medium wide-body freighters. As DHL’s principal source of freighter airlift in North America, we will make every effort to support DHL’s future freighter aircraft requirements as they may develop in the future.”

DHL’s CVG hub began a large expansion project in March, which includes an additional sort building and new entrance areas that will be utilized by the flight crews and ramp employees. As a part of this expansion, they also will be including a new office area for the airline group and conference rooms available to the carrier to schedule meetings with the flight crews. The new pilot’s area will have ten sleeping bunk rooms, a 102-seat dining room, a common area seating 134 with full cafeteria, shower facilities, U.S. Customs office, pilot work rooms, and bag storage, with separate parking and entrance. The security entrance in the new building will support all the same functions that the crews have now at the main building.

Along with the construction at the CVG hub, DHL also reported 20 percent growth for 2011. Approximately three years ago, ABX was undergoing some significant challenges. I’m sure there were some outside the company and maybe some inside the company that wondered about the future of ABX. Through hard work, determination, and our high level of service for our largest customer, DHL, we have grown from 21 aircraft in 2009 to 32 in our system today. What was 13 aircraft supporting the DHL network three years ago is now at 20. This is a tribute to the hard work from our employees who embraced the change and the crews’ willingness to support being domiciled in CVG after years of calling ILN home. Again thank you to all of our employees.

That’s all I have this week. Have a safe weekend.

John Starkovich's INFOline  |  May 24, 2012
Good afternoon. This is John Starkovich with the ABX INFOline for May 24, 2012.

Safety
It is the end of the school year, and there are lots of graduations and other events going on. Please have fun and enjoy yourself, but do not drink and drive. If you are a host or have a friend that is not in a position to drive safely, offer to chauffeur them or arrange an alternative to them driving. It is the right thing to do.

Compliance
In past INFOlines, you will recall that I have mentioned the Safety Management System (SMS). It is a top-down business approach to manage safety risks. There are four pillars to the program that include safety policies, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety culture. The ABX executive team is scheduled for training sessions during mid-June with members of the FAA Certificate management team out of the Detroit office and the Washington DC FAA SMS team. The program will cover the basic principles of SMS and perform a preliminary gap analysis, which then leads to the more detailed work and ultimate implementation.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL so far this quarter, subject to verification, is 98.28 percent. For the month of May to date, we are at 97.69 percent.

ABX has been advised by the Teamsters Local 1224 that the ABX flight crew members have ratified an agreement called the Asian Side Letter that was negotiated between the parties. It allows for certain changes in the applicable provisions of the collective bargaining agreement to allow for a more cost-effective operation in the Far East and pave the way for growth with existing and new customers. ABX thanks its crewmembers and the union leadership for taking this step.

In a press release the Clinton County Port Authority announced that it has come to an agreement with ATSG on the terms and conditions for the funding of a new hangar. This is good news for our sister company, Airborne Maintenance and Engineering Services (AMES). The planned facility would have two bays and accommodate wide body aircraft. While there is still more that needs to be done, this was an important step. It could mean an additional 250 jobs for the facility. Congratulations to AMES and the Port for this agreement.

Everyone has heard of the UPS announcement of taking over TNT Express. Frank Appel, the chief executive of Deutsche Post DHL, told the Financial Times recently that this integration of two companies often “distracts from the service and the customers,” and he sees an “opportunity to capture market share”. With DHL being the largest customer that ABX serves, that is good news, and ABX must continue to provide the value and reliable service in support of DHL in its efforts.

Other News & Information
As we ready for the Memorial Day weekend, just a brief reminder and a suggestion. Please kindly take a few minutes to remember what this holiday represents. It is to honor and remember those in the military who have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for all of us and our country with their service. If you get a chance, please join in any of the local community events that honor these men and women and their families. If nothing else on Monday, take just a few minutes—even just a silent pause—to remember them in your own way, as they have given their lives so that we can enjoy all of the privileges that we have living in the US. The enormity of that sacrifice and the effect on their families is almost impossible to comprehend. Have a safe, happy, and reflective Memorial Day.

That is all for this week's INFOline. Thank you for all you do to make ABX a success. Take care.

Bob Gray's INFOline  |  May 10, 2012
This is Bob Gray with the May 10, 2012 INFOline.

Safety and Compliance
During the last week of April, I had the pleasure of attending a Fatigue Risk Management Symposium in Washington D.C. along with our Director of Safety, Steve Janasov. The Symposium was sponsored by Airlines for America and the Cargo Airlines Association with the purpose of bringing together airline operators, safety and labor representatives, along with regulators and fatigue experts to explore the best fatigue management practices to date. Speakers included Mark Rosekind from the NTSB, Dale Roberts from AFS-200, Dr. Melissa Mallis and Leigh White from Alertness Solutions Inc., and managers of major airline fatigue programs. Steve and I quickly came to realize that the ABX FRMP is one of the better ones in operation today. That said, the symposium was a great learning experience, and we’ll be incorporating some of the lessons learned along with some pertinent scientific data into our program in the near future.

In other regulatory news, Rex Gunning reports that the requirement to perform age 60 line checks for our pilots who are age 60 and over is no longer necessary. When the pilot mandatory retirement age was raised to age 65, Congress also required that any pilot who chose to continue flying past age 60 had to have an additional line check over and above those mandatory for other crewmembers. A recent notice from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration removes the requirement for a line check every 6 months for pilots serving in a 121 operation who had attained age 60. We needed to receive approval for a revision to our Training Manual that removed the age 60 line check requirement before we could take advantage of the change. Captains age 60 and over will still require an annual line check.

Employee Recognition
Last week, it was my pleasure to present to Rex the ABX Air Gold Wings of Excellence for his outstanding contributions to the Company. During the past few years, there have been many ABX employees that have excelled above expectations, and who could have qualified for this award, but after careful consideration, Rex was determined to be at the top of the list.

As a result of his efforts in coordinating the many audits and inspections that we experienced, ABX Air successfully returned to the fast growing Asia marketplace. His efforts and dedication in meeting the requirements of our customers and the regulatory authorities – despite the language and cultural barriers – truly reflects our Company values of Teamwork, Customer Satisfaction, and Quality. Our return to intra-Asia flying, demonstrates to the marketplace that we can operate reliably, safely, and dependably on the other side of the world. And this helps us build our business in a key marketplace for the Company. Congratulations, Rex, and thank you for everything that you do for our Company.

Congratulations to the following people who are celebrating anniversaries with ABX: Joe Stuber - 35 years; Bob Moser - 25 years; those celebrating 20 years include Bart Blum, Capt. David Chaffin, Capt. Craig Griffis, Allan Kopack, and Capt. David Ross; and celebrating 15 years are Russell Leighton, Michael McDonough, and William Pitchford.

That’s all for this week. Thanks to all of you for your work at making ABX successful.

John Starkovich's INFOline  |  April 26, 2012
Good afternoon. This is John Starkovich with the ABX INFOline for April 26, 2012.

Safety
Three ABX employees had accidents the 1st quarter. One involved a slip and fall while walking; one was a fall off a ladder; and the third one involved an individual hitting a leg on a low barrier. Most of us have fallen or had accidents and when we looked back, we could see where we had failed to pay attention. I do not know anyone that purposefully gets hurt and, regardless of what may have been the cause of the above accidents, we all need to stay aware of our surroundings and attentive to any unsafe conditions. Please for your own sake, be careful.
 

The FOQA Connection is about to come out with its second edition. It will focus on when to use Speed Brakes and when to use the Flaps for descent and speed adjustments on our 767s. Please look for it on the web site. The article is provided by the FOQA Monitoring Committee that is headed up by Jeff Parrott.
 

Compliance
ABX recently was the subject of a Dangerous Goods Audit from authorities in Belgium for a flight being operated for TNT. No non-conformities were found, and we passed our dangerous goods audit for the 2012-2013 cycle. Thank you to all who were involved.
 

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the first quarter, subject to verification, was 98.83 percent. For the month of March, we came in at 98.48 percent; and April to date, again subject to verification, is at 98.72 percent.  

As reported in the previous INFOline, Pat Wallace will be retiring on Friday after over 20 years with the Company. Please take a moment to wish Pat a healthy and happy retirement. Dawna Kennedy, our HR Generalist who was our benefits guru and Fitbit coordinator, is leaving ABX to be a stay-at-home mom with her son, Reid. Dawna has been with ABX for six years and had been with Airborne Express in Seattle for six years. Dawna will be greatly missed and we all wish her the best.

Walking routes have been posted in the plastic notice holders near the restrooms, in the break room and by the elevator and on MyABX.com, for those of you looking to get your Fitbit steps in while enjoying the outdoors. Please be careful and walk only in appropriate areas.

Other News & Information
The ATSG annual stockholder’s meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 11, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. local time at Wilmington College's Boyd Center / Heiland Theatre here in Wilmington, Ohio. In addition to the report on the Company’s business results for 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, there will be the election of two directors to the Board of Directors for a term of three years; ratification of Deloitte & Touche as the independent public accounting firm for the 2012 fiscal year; an advisory vote on executive compensation; and other business properly before the board. The Proxy Statement and Annual Report are available for stockholders of record.  Instead of a paper copy, the documents are available online through the Internet. Paper copies remain available upon request.

This weekend race fans may want to attend events here at the Wilmington Air Park. The East Coast Timing Association (ECTA) will be holding the first of a number of events this year involving timed single-car runs in a straight line. There are also events on certain weekends sponsored by the Sports Car Club of America and the Miami Valley Sports Car Club. Please see the posting or Internal Communications Memo #12-42 for the dates and details. Should you be coming into work this weekend, please drive safely as always and be aware of the expected increase in traffic.

On Wednesday April, 25, at approximately 10 a.m., two Ohio National Guard F-16s out of Toledo radioed an emergency to ILN Tower and requested to land. Mike Ward in the Tower immediately notified CFR (Mike Burton), and he was ready as the fighter jets prepared to land. Two other LGSTX employees (Roger Hall and Phillip Burton) heard the exchange between the Tower and CFR and hustled out to marshal the aircraft into parking. One aircraft eventually flew back on Wednesday evening, and the aircraft with the mechanical problem remained overnight. Thanks to all employees involved for a job well done.
 

John Starkovich's INFOline  |  March 29, 2012
Good afternoon. This is John Starkovich with the ABX INFOline for March 29, 2012.

Safety & Compliance
Issue 3 of the ABX Air SafetyLine for March 2012 has been published and is available on the Safety web site. It includes an article by Flight Crewmember Jeff Parrott on FOQA and an article on NOTAMs. There also is an article on the M1-A Aircraft Log Sheets regarding fuel entries and the importance of accurate, legible numbers. Please visit the Safety web site and read some of the informative and helpful articles.

Company News
Just a reminder that ABX has job openings listed on our jobs board. Go to www.abxair.com and click on the Careers section. Our sister companies maintain their own job sites at www.agsjobs.com; www.atsginc-jobs.com; and www.airbornemx-jobs.com. So if you know someone that is looking for a job and who would be an asset to the company, please encourage them to apply, especially our returning military veterans. Submitting an application will not guarantee them a job, but not applying means they have no chance at all.

Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of March is at 98.7%.

Sunday is April 1. It marks the end of the 1st quarter with the ABX Wellness Program. If you have not taken a total of 423,500 steps in the first quarter, or completed the online alternative UnitedHealthcare Health Rewards coaching program in lieu of the Fitbit pedometer program, by midnight on March 31, you will not be eligible for the discount in your health care contribution during the second quarter. The 423,500 steps is an average of 5,500 a day without counting the 1st week in January and one additional week. For the second quarter, you again will need to meet the average of 5,500 steps/day or complete the coaching program to be eligible for the discount in the 3rd quarter. The total steps for this period of time goes to a total of 462,000 steps by averaging your 12 best weeks out of the 13 week total. If you have any problem logging in or getting started on the coaching program, please contact Dawna Kennedy at ext. 62150. I will continue to remind you of this, as a 17% reduction in your health care contribution is significant. Even more important than the dollars that you will save, is the benefits that you can get to your health and fitness. It is for your own good in almost every way.

Some folks have reported losing their Fitbit pedometer when it popped out of the holder. A suggestion from a fellow employee led to the purchase of tethers suitable for use with the Fitbit. They are available to you for the modest price of $0.40. Please call Dawna Kennedy at ext. 62150.

Other News & Information
On March 14, 2012, DHL announced a $47 million expansion in CVG. The expansion includes a 193,000-square-foot sort facility to be connected to the existing sort and is projected to be open by November 2012. DHL also reported approx. 280 new jobs over the next 12 months, with 120 being permanent positions. The expansion is good news for ABX as it signifies continuing growth for our largest customer, and hopefully that will translate into the need for more aircraft and more jobs for ABX employees.

Yesterday, I attended the Red Cross Heroes Awards Breakfast with a group of other ABX employees. I had been convinced to attend by Jean Radcliffe who works in the Purchasing department and has been active with the Red Cross. Have to admit, it was an enjoyable and worthwhile event to recognize individuals that were Red Cross Heroes. It also kicks off the Red Cross annual fundraiser. I did not realize that the Red Cross had opened 6 shelters; served more than 14,000 meals; and distributed 23,195 clean-up kits in response to the tornadoes that hit the Tri-State area. The guest speaker was Adam Widener, a Cincinnati native and veteran, seriously injured in Afghanistan and now a part of the wounded warrior project. During his presentation, slides of various returning veterans that had been seriously injured and lost limbs were shown in the context of recovery. Reminded me of how fortunate we are here in the U.S. for the courage, service and sacrifice of our military families and the debt of gratitude that we owe to all of them. Thank you to all of our military.

That is all for this week's INFOline. Thank you for all you do to make ABX a success. Take care.

Eric Plas' INFOline  |  March 15, 2012
Good afternoon. This is Eric Plas with the ABX INFOline for March 15, 2012.

Safety

While it's not officially springtime the weather is certainly looking that way. In Ohio spring also means Tornado season and as witnessed recently by our neighbors in Indiana and Kentucky it can be deadly. Annually in March ABX participates in a state-wide tornado drill to help ensure your safety. This year it will occur on March 28 at 9:50 a.m. (in this business that's 1350 Zulu). A specific message with instructions will precede the drill so please stay aware and know what to do.

Wellness

A reminder from Human Resources: all those participating in the wellness program please send the email address you use on your Fitbit account to Dawna Kennedy so she can track your steps for the second quarter health insurance discount.

Performance

Fourth quarter on-time performance was 98.52 percent, which places us in the second tier of our incentive program with DHL. Our financial performance was 1.15 percent better than plan which is razor thin but good enough to place us in the first tier of our quarterly financial performance incentive plan. Accordingly bonus payouts will be issued March 16.

Business News

ATSG recently competed their fourth quarter investor call. If you missed the call, it's still available at www.atsginc.com for 30 days following March 6.

On Wednesday of this week a groundbreaking took place at CVG where DHL announced they are planning a major investment into the CVG hub. Plans call for a $47 million dollar investment to add a 200,000-square-foot sorting facility and an upgrade to its existing 520,000-square-foot building along with 280 new jobs. In their press release DHL states that the CVG hub is responsible for processing 2.6 million pieces a month, which is 92 percent of their U.S. shipments as well as the majority of Canada, Mexico and Latin America shipments. They anticipate 10 to 15 percent more shipments to move through CVG this year. It a good thing when your number one customer is expanding, adding jobs and projecting growth!

It feels like we just completed flying the Valentine's Day rush and here comes Mother's Day! While not as large as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day is the number two flower holiday. While we are still working the schedules with our MIA customer, you can be sure that our flying activity from Bogota to Miami will increase significantly in mid-April. So make sure Mom has some flowers; it's good for business and she deserves them!

That is all the news we have for this week. Thank you for your time and all that you do for our company. John Starkovich will be back with an update to the INFOline on March 29, 2012.

Steve Janasov's INFOline  |  March 1, 2012
Good afternoon. This is Steve Janasov with the ABX INFOline for March 1, 2012.

Safety
Recently, ABX management conducted a survey of the pilot group. One of the questions concerned the establishment and implementation of a ‘Safety Management System’ and the development of a ‘Just Culture’ at ABX. While most of the respondents appear to welcome an FAA accepted Safety Management System, many commented that they were not familiar with the concept ‘Just Culture.’ I thought I’d take a few moments to summarize it for you.

In the late 1970’s, James Reason, a noted United Kingdom psychologist famous for the Swiss Cheese Model, postulated that the components of a viable safety culture include; reporting, learning, informed, flexible, and just cultures. He defined a ‘Just Culture’ as one composed in an atmosphere of trust in which people are encouraged and even rewarded for providing essential safety-related information. Of equal importance, a ‘Just Culture’ also is one where a clear line is drawn between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. He further defined a ‘Just Culture’ as one that promotes a questioning attitude, resists complacency, commits to excellence, and fosters both personal accountability and corporate self-regulation regarding safety matters. To be effective, the culture must also be informed, willing to report errors and near misses, flexible and adaptive to change, and willing to learn the correct lessons from the safety information disclosed and apply appropriate corrective actions. There are lots of other aspects of a ‘Just Culture;’ including its principles, types of unsafe behaviors, and interface with negligence and culpability. These topics along with the many tangible benefits of such a culture will be explored in more detail in the March edition of the SafetyLine newsletter.

Compliance
One program that complements the ‘Just Culture’ philosophy is the FAA’s Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program, also known as VDRP. The VDRP is one of several voluntary safety programs put into place by FAA policy. This one allows airlines to submit FAR violations that are self-discovered by company employees before the violation is found by the FAA. The advantage of this process is that by voluntarily self disclosing there are no penalties placed against the airline. Excepted from VDRP are individual airmen, hazardous materials, and drug and alcohol; where other voluntary programs already exist. A letter is written by the FAA, stating the details of the violation; it is filed and remains on record for one year. There are six stages in the submission and approval process for a VDRP disclosure:

• Stage 1 – Initial Notification by the airline;

• Stage 2 – Initial Notification Response by the FAA;

• Stage 3 - Written Report, where the airline assesses the risk, determines the root cause, and develops a comprehensive fix;

• Stage 4 – Written Report Review, where the FAA accepts, rejects, or recommends modification to the submitted report;

• Stage 5 – Surveillance, the period after the comprehensive fix is accepted and implemented; and

• Stage 6 – Inspector Signoff, where the overall process is accepted or rescinded by the FAA Inspector.

The VDRP offers a higher standard for continued operational safety, maintenance, and flight operations for an airline certificate holder. Occasionally, a self-disclosure by the certificate holder correlates to an opportunity for a voluntary self-disclosure from an employee, the license holder, who may have played a contributing role in the violation. Often, the license holder is unaware that an FAR violation occurred until notified. This scenario typically involves the company contacting a pilot or mechanic to make them aware of an FAR violation to allow them the opportunity to voluntarily submit safety-related information from their perspective using the Aviation Safety Action Program.

Should you have a question concerning a possible VDRP disclosure you can initially contact me or the appropriate compliance manager: Dan Hendershott in Maintenance, Rex Gunning in Flight, or Bob Greene in Ground Operations. Questions concerning ASAP can be addressed to myself or Holly McCammon, our ASAP administrator.

Our People
Congratulations to the following employees celebrating anniversaries with ABX in March:

• Captain Donald Bodnar – 35 years;

• Captains Fred Holsinger and Spence Meredith – 25 years;

• Captains Alex Calder, Charles Miller, and Brian Rodebeck; and First Officer Mark Ficek – 20 years; and

• Charter Station Administrator Rochell Kay-Apodaca – 5 years.

Thanks to all for your hard work and dedication!

Business & News
DHL is poised to announce the details of its $46 million expansion of the Express Americas Hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. This will occur at a ceremony scheduled to be conducted mid-March. Part of the expansion is purported to include constructing a new consolidated crew facility and parking lot. DHL indicates the expansion project positions them well to better support international trade as well as future growth. We’ll keep you posted on the details as they are made available.

Mike Huckabee is taping his FOX News show 'Huckabee' at the air park this Saturday. Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum will be here as guests. The program will be aired later that night at 8 p.m. There will be no public audience as the set will be closed to air park employees and the public. However, it is possible that one or more of the candidates might make an appearance elsewhere around Wilmington that day.

That’s all for this week's INFOline. Thanks for all your work in keeping our company safe and successful.

John Starkovich's INFOline  |  February 16, 2012
Good afternoon. This is John Starkovich with the ABX INFOline for February 16, 2012.

Safety & Compliance
We are again reminding folks that falls were our number one cause of accidents/injuries. With the somewhat erratic weather we are having, it is easy to forget that icy and slick spots on the roads, driveways, sidewalks, and parking lots appear to come from nowhere. Please be careful and attentive. Leave yourself enough time that you do not have to rush; and if you should need assistance here at ILN, contact Security at ext. 62911. To report a hazard, please notify LGSTX Property & Facilities Maintenance at ext. 62082 or 62282.

Company News
ABX employees interested in seeing the information that ATSG is sharing with investors and analysts at the BB&T Capital Markets’ 27th Annual Transportations Services Conference being held today can find the slide presentation on the Internet as part of the SEC filings. ATSG also has an investors conference call scheduled for Tuesday, March 6, 2012 to review fourth quarter 2011 and fiscal year 2011 financial results. Employees also are encouraged to go to the ATSGInc.com web site as another way to keep informed of important dates and announcements.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our ABX employees reaching an important milestone with us this month. Congratulations to Mark Spicer, our manager of I.S. for 25 years of service; at 20 years of service Field Supervisor Michael Green at Mather; also at 20 years of service are 767 captains Glenn Crawford and Mark Thom along with 767 first officers David Gardner, Pete Silverson, and Scott Farmer; and at 15 years of service, 767 first officer Tomoaki “Tommy” Sato. We thank and congratulate these employees for their service and contributions to ABX for these many years.

A reminder to everyone that we are experiencing unusually high usage of our internet connections during the first shift and the 2 to 4 a.m. time portals. Much of this is normal activity but streaming music has been determined to be contributing to these peak levels. Please keep in mind that streaming music can slow down our response time for business-related transactions even if it is going through a personal tablet or smart phone. Conserving band-width and complying with our Technology Use Policy is expected of all ABX employees. Your cooperation is expected and appreciated.

Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of February is at 98.89%. The first quarter to date stands at 99.03%. DHL also congratulated ABX for its performance in January during a meeting yesterday.

Other News & Information
There have been some questions regarding the 747-300 that is sitting on the airport property. The aircraft is painted in Saudi Arabian Airlines livery and was being operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic. It is here for parts removal by MAP Asset Preservation and ultimately scrapping. The engines have already been removed and it will go the way of many of the old DC-9’s.

For those that are not already aware, the air park has entered into an agreement with the East Coast Timing Association (ECTA) for a series of dates in 2012 for land speed racing events. The association allows for car and motorcycles ranging from production models to exotic vehicles and purpose-built racers to test their speed. The ECTA has spent the last 16 years at the former Laurinburg/Maxton Army Airbase in Maxton, North Carolina and have signed with the Wilmington Air Park for the 2012 season. The dates are April 28, 29; June 2, 3; July 7, 8; and September 28, 29.

AMES has recently had some modification done on hangar building 1003 so it can now handle a 767. With space at a premium and the need to get work done on our aircraft inside during the winter season, the modification is welcome news.

The ABX Wellness Program and the Fitbit pedometers continue to make progress. As a reminder, for those who are participating in UnitedHealthcare's Health Rewards coaching program in lieu of the Fitbit program or just to improve your overall health, six weeks of participation are required, so you need to start the program no later than mid-February. Please use the recently updated myuhc.com web site. If you have any problem logging in or getting started on the coaching program, please contact Dawna Kennedy at ext. 62150. Also, keep in mind that in order to qualify for a reduction in your health care contribution, you must meet either meet the Fitbit requirements or the coaching program steps. I will continue to remind you of this as a 17% reduction in your health care contribution is significant. Even more important than the dollars that you will save are the benefits that you can get to your health and fitness. It is for your own good in almost every way.

That is all for this week's INFOline. Thank you for all you do to make ABX a success. Take care.

John Starkovich's INFOline  |  February 2, 2012
Good Afternoon. This is John Starkovich with the ABX INFOline for February 2, 2012.

Safety & Compliance
Last month marked the first edition of the ABX SafetyLine. This Safety publication is another effort being taken by our safety professionals to keep you informed on various safety subjects and initiatives here at ABX. Much of it will focus on the flight side, but it will also be covering subjects of general interest for all of us. It is emailed and is also available via the company-networked computers on the ABXnet Safety page and also at myabx.com/flightweb (click on the Flight Safety button, log in, and click the ABX Air SafetyLine link). Issue 2 for the month of February is already out.

W-2 Distribution
ABX employees at ILN and CVG should have received their W-2s at work. They were mailed to outbased employees on January 30. If you have not received your W-2 by February 15, you should contact the ever helpful Rachel Bernard in Payroll by calling extension 62538 to request a replacement. Please do not call before February 15 as it allows time for the US Postal service to return undeliverable items to us, and we can then resend them to you at any revised addresses.

401k
On January 31, 2012, the Company made its 5% contribution under the Capital Accumulation Plan (CAP) (for non-pilots). This contribution is placed into your 401k account. As a reminder, this is the replacement program for the frozen Retirement Income Plan. Please use www.401k.com if you want to check on the contribution. The amount can be found under “Transaction History”, in the “Sources” tab, and is dated January 31, 2012. Employees have to be full time or part time status and must have worked 1,000 hours in 2011, and employed at ABX as of December 31, 2011. Should you have questions, please contact Dawna Kennedy in HR at extension 62150.

Service
Our on-time service performance for DHL during the 4th quarter stands at 98.52%. For the month of January, subject to verification with DHL, on-time performance looks to be over 99%.

Employee Safety Survey
At the request of senior management, the Safety Department will be conducting an employee survey directed to the pilot group. VP of Flight Bob Gray requested that the Safety department perform the survey because it has been some time since the last one was conducted and there have been many operational changes in the past several years. As ABX moves toward the Safety Management System this year, open and candid input from our employee groups regarding how they perceive our policies, programs and functional areas, is critical to being effective and compliant. Safety will be using the SurveyMonkey system to conduct the survey. It assures anonymity in completing the survey and will regulate that there is only one response per employee. Another survey is under development for the maintenance folks as well. The Safety department is looking for honest responses to each question and thanks you for your cooperation and participation.

Healthy Directions
The ABX Wellness Program and the new Fitbit pedometers continue to be a topic of conversation. The second order of Fitbits is scheduled to arrive tomorrow and will bring the total number of participants to just below 300. This is over 30% of the eligible population. As a reminder, for those who are participating in UnitedHealthcare Health Rewards coaching program, it requires 6 weeks of participation, so you need to start the program no later than mid-February. UHC has recently updated their myuhc.com website, so the directions that we provided in the initial package have changed. Please follow the updated version. If you have any problem logging in or getting started on the coaching program, please contact Dawna Kennedy at extension 62150. Also, keep in mind that in order to qualify for a reduction in your health care contribution, you must meet either meet the Fitbit requirements or the coaching program steps. Everyone is encouraged to participate for the sake of your own health and to save money on your health care expenses.

That is all for this week's INFOline. Thank you for all you do to make ABX a success. Take care.

Tammy Voss' INFOline  |  January 19, 2012
Hello, this is Tammy Voss with the ABX Air INFOline for January 19, 2012. I hope everyone is doing well.

Safety & Compliance
So far this winter, we have been very lucky to have such mild weather conditions. As a precaution, we would like to review the Emergency Operations Policy. ABX Air will maintain normal operations whenever possible to meet our customers’ service commitments. All employees are expected to be at work on time during inclement weather when the company has not announced closure. When conditions warrant, ABX Air may announce Delayed Operations or Closure of Operations as detailed in the policy. When these plans are announced at ILN, they will be communicated via the ABX Newsline: (937) 382-5591, press #, then dial 66397 (6NEWS). Outbased locations will follow the procedures for notifying their personnel when delays or closures occur. In all cases, we want our employees to take the necessary steps to ensure they remain safe.

Our People
We have a number of anniversaries to celebrate this month. Capt. Chris Reimer is celebrating 25 years with ABX. Judy Branham, Capt. James McCauley Jr., and First Officer John Ziegler are celebrating 20 years of dedicated service. Mark Staddon is celebrating 10 years with ABX. Congratulations!

Performance
I am pleased to report that our on-time performance for December 2011 was 98.50%. Our 4th Quarter 2011 CMI performance was 98.52%. We encountered some very challenging issues during the 4th quarter and achieving this level of on-time performance day in and day out is a huge accomplishment. As soon as our 4th Quarter audited financial results are reviewed and approved, we will update you on the 4Q results of the ABX Employee Incentive plan.

2012 Expense Reporting Rates and Tax Limits
For 2012, the 401(k) deferral limit is $17,000, the 401(k) catch-up limit is $5,500 and the Social Security Wage Base is $110,100.

Effective January 16, 2012, the new expense reporting rates for non-crewmembers are:

Mileage: $0.555 per mile

Company policies on the intranet have been updated to reflect the changes.

Wellness Update
Since the wellness program was announced in November, 239 employees have completed Health Risk Assessments and 276 employees have ordered Fitbit pedometers. Human Resources have had a lot of positive feedback on the program. Employees are closely monitoring their activity and are getting on the treadmill at night or walking around the block to reach the 5500 steps per day goal. All this activity can help reduce their insurance premiums as well as improve their overall health!

ABX Air featured in Delta TechOps 2012 Calendar
This year, Wilmington and Shanghai will share the distinguished honor of being featured in the 2012 Delta TechOps calendar highlighting cities around the world with close ties to the company. A photo of downtown Wilmington is featured on the November page, tucked between Moscow, Russia (October) and Seoul, Korea (December). A caption on the page recognizes ABX Air as the longest tenured customer of Delta TechOps.

Wilmington Air Park News
The CCPA has signed an agreement with the United State Air Force (USAF) to finalize a COA (Certificate of Authorization) that will allow the USAF to do research and development and fly SUAS (Small Unmanned Aerial Systems) from the Wilmington Air Park. This agreement begins Feb. 28, 2012 and runs through Feb. 27, 2013.

That is all the news we have for this week. Thank you for your time and all that you do for our company. John Starkovich will be back with an update to the INFOline on Feb 2, 2012.

Jeff Walling's INFOline  |  January 5, 2012
Welcome to the first ABX INFOline for 2012. Today is January 5th, and I am Jeff Walling, Manager of Human Resources.

Around the World in (less than) 80 Hours
Let me start the New Year by sharing the story of a recently completed around-the-world trip.

Our aircraft stationed in Japan, tail number 745, needed to return to ILN for its scheduled C-check in January. The authorized replacement aircraft, tail number 744, was in Europe serving our customers there. We needed to send a replacement aircraft to Europe and reposition 744 to Japan. And before 744 could leave for Japan it needed to be prepped, cleaned, and decaled. So how do you swap two airplanes between Europe and Japan? Obviously, ferrying empty airplanes half-way around the world can be very expensive and is best avoided. That’s when Eric Plas and his team went to work.

First Eric and his team arranged a shipment to Europe to send a replacement plane for the European operations. Then Eric arranged to carry a shipment from Poland back to CVG, and from there that shipment was trucked to its final destination in Canada. With 744 back at CVG it completed several domestic flights and was prepped and cleaned in LAX over the holiday weekend. A new decal for Japan Airlines was added next to the familiar ABX Air logo.

Finally, Eric and his team arranged a shipment from CVG to Muscat, Oman in the Middle East. After making this delivery, 744 departed Muscat and overflew the Indian subcontinent and China en route to Japan. The airplane arrived safely in Japan today and is now ready to resume our scheduled flights between Japan and China.

Meanwhile, aircraft 745 departed Japan for ILN via Anchorage, Alaska. This aircraft arrived at ILN has been inducted into the C-check line.

Thank you to everyone who helped make these repositioning trips possible. Special thanks to our operations people, including the flight crews, aircraft maintenance personnel, flight control, contingency, and scheduling; and to Eric and his team for their efforts. Also a special thank you to Stacia Garen for working around the clock as plans were reformatted on the run due to a work stoppage in Belgium and a government delay in Oman.

We successfully moved several revenue loads of freight while repositioning these aircraft. We’ve come a long way since our beginnings way back in 1980!

Flower Season Starts
In company news, we are getting ready to start the flower season in Miami. Valentine's Day is the biggest day of the year for fresh-cut flower sales in the U.S.

Have you every wondered how those fresh-cut roses show up in floral shops around the country in the dead of winter? The answer is air cargo, and ABX Air is a big part of moving flowers from the South American growers to Miami for final distribution to your local flower shop.

Our Boeing 767 aircraft with its ability to control the cargo deck temperature is ideal for moving high value and perishable floral shipments. The flower season is a great opportunity for our company to earn extra business. And it's just possible that the flowers you buy for your loved one this Valentine's Day were flown to the U.S. on an ABX airplane.

Global Flight Source
In other company news, our Flight Department received FAA approval to use a vendor for flight following services. Global Flight Source, previously the ABX Flight Control department, is providing this service for ABX. Global Flight Source offers a broad range of services to operators including complete route planning, dispatch release generation, weather analysis and briefings, and 24/7 flight following. Global Flight Source is staffed by FAA licensed dispatchers who have worldwide dispatching experience and who are qualified for ETOPS 120 and 180 flights. Jim O’Grady has been named the Managing Director of Global Flight Source and reports to Rich Corrado under Airborne Global Solutions. These changes were made to help grow our business by providing new services to the marketplace.

Healthy Directions Wellness Program
In Our People news, our new Wellness initiative, Healthy Directions, is off to a great start in 2012. We have 250 people signed up for the Fitbit pedometer program and we’re hearing lots of positive buzz from employees. If you are not signed up but are interested in joining the fun, please contact Dawna Kennedy in Human Resources at extension 62150 or via email at dawna.kennedy@abxair.com.

Thanks to everyone who completed the UnitedHealthcare online health risk assessment. If you completed the assessment by December 31, you’ve earned the company health insurance discount for the first quarter. You will see a discounted contribution starting on your January 13 paycheck. If you haven’t signed up for the Wellness program, visit www.myabx.com/benefits for details. By joining in, you can earn discounts on the company health insurance program staring the second quarter.

Accepting Applications for B-767 First Officers
For the first time in a great while, we are now accepting applications for Boeing 767 first officers. While we are not yet hiring new pilots, since we need to complete the process of going through the recall list of furloughed pilots, we wanted to start building a pool of qualified applicants for the day we can resuming hiring new employees. If you know anyone interested in applying for these positions, tell them to visit our website at www.abxair.com and click on the Careers section.

Winter Weather Safety Reminder
Finally, the New Year brings the wonder of the winter season here in the northern hemisphere. Let me take a moment to remind everyone, that if you’re aviating, driving, or just walking in the parking lot, please make sure you use your winter weather skills to the fullest. Winter weather is best enjoyed accident-free!

Well, that’s all I have for this week. Tammy Voss will be here with the next update on January 26. Until then take care and be safe!