INFOline Archive 2016
To access the latest ABX Air INFOline (updated twice a month), call (937) 366-4636 or click here. Scripts are posted here within a few days of each new recording.

INFOline for December 22, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is John Starkovich with the ABX Air INFOline for December 22, 2016.

Safety
We are now entering the final stages of our peak operation as well as the official designation of winter. Everyone is urged to take time to revisit the appropriate manuals and corporate guidance relevant to their area of our operation and to re-familiarize themselves with the proper procedures for inclement winter weather operations. Nearly every employee associated with aircraft operations has specific winter and/or cold weather operations guidance necessary for the conduct of safe and efficient operations, which remains our foremost goal. Please follow this guidance, and together let’s finish the year with strong performances in both employee safety and customer satisfaction. The number for weather and emergency updates regarding company operations is ext. 66397.

Compliance
As part of our Safety Management System implementation, our compliance managers have been reviewing our corporate and functional area guidance against FAA Design Data Collection Tools to ensure compliance. The Design DCTs have been completed for the Corporate SMS Manual and portions of the functional area guidance that will be incorporated into the General Maintenance and Ground Operations Manuals. As a result of the review process, revision 3 of the Safety Management System Manual will be published in January. The Flight Department has begun the FAA review process and will formulate their initial departmental manual guidance during the first calendar quarter of 2017.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of December, subject to verification, is 96.98%. Similarly, for the fourth quarter of 2016, we are at 97.45% on-time performance to date, all subject to verification. Our on-time performance for Amazon for through the 18th of December is at 96.10%.

Please join me in welcoming the following new employees to ABX Air: Director of Operations Analysis Patrick Fluegeman, Safety Specialist/Analyst Stephanie Gabert, HR Administrative Assistant Angie Hurst, Manager of Airport Affairs Andy McAviney, Assistant Simulator Tech Chris Norman, Flight Tech Training Instructor Steve Saker, President David Soaper, and Benefits Supervisor Laurie Wells. When you see these folks in the halls, please say hi to them and welcome them to ABX Air.

With the union's contribution of $4,500, this year’s Fall Charity Drive total exceeded $110,000, which is 10% above our goal of $100,000. Thank you all for your generosity.

December 22 marks the 20th anniversary of the 827AX tragedy. The ABX Air family lost employees, co-workers, and friends. The families of those lost that night suffered so much more. Please kindly take a moment to remember the families as well as the ones lost: Project Coordinator Ken Athey, Capt. Garth Avery, Aircraft Technician Bruce Goettsch, Capt. Keith Leming, Professional Flight Engineer Terry Waelti, and TIMCO Aircraft Technician Brian Scully.

Just as a reminder that so far in 2016, we have added 72 new hires to our pilot ranks and upgraded approximately 27 first officers to captain status. An additional class of 10 newhire pilots remains scheduled for January of 2017.

Management employees: please kindly remember to complete the annual 20-question management survey. Your personal link to the SurveyMonkey form was sent via email from Communications on December 19. If you need assistance or a new link, please contact Paul Cunningham at ext. 62310. The survey is due no later than December 30 and as always, 100% timely completion by all ABX Air management is expected and required.

This is going to be the last INFOline for 2016. I want to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication this last year. In retrospect, we had some shortcomings with the level of our on-time performance not reaching our internal benchmark at the 98.5% level, so we have our work cut out for us in 2017. That said, this ABX Air team to me remains the very best, and by refocusing and being attentive to the details, we are unbeatable. We need to harness that and come up with a 2017 that surpasses anything to date.

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

INFOline for December 9, 2016
Hello, ladies and gentlemen. This is Bob Greene, Manager of Ground Operations, with the ABX Air INFOline for December 9, 2016.

Safety Compliance
As part of our Safety Management System implementation, Diane Hibbett of the ABX Safety Department has been conducting training for personnel from Flight, Maintenance, and Ground Operations who are designated as SMS Pro Administrators for their functional areas. The Safety Department, in cooperation with the compliance managers and administers being trained, continues to work with the SMS Pro software programmers to structure the Safety Reporting and Safety Risk Management processes to mirror the requirements as outlined in the SMS FAA Final Rule and FAA Advisory Circular 120-92B.

Each employee will receive SMS training commensurate with their designated SMS responsibilities. Some of the training has already been conducted, with much more to begin in 2017. All employees will receive an induction into the SMS Pro software that will provide, at a minimum, an overview of our SMS Policy and Safety Reporting processes. To comply with the FAA rule, most functional areas will begin the Safety Risk Management and Safety Assurance Processes required by SMS by initially using the paper forms provided in the SMS Manual. The Safety Department continues to vet the Safety Risk Management and Safety Assurance processes using current SRM analysis, Hazards, and audit functions. Eventually all airline functional areas will transition to the online SMS Pro processes including reporting, recordkeeping.

Security Compliance
Recently, a small empty bag was discovered on board an ABX aircraft. No one claimed the bag, and no one knew who it belonged to, what it was, or why it was there. It contained nothing suspicious. This event does highlight the need for all of us who work with cargo carried on an aircraft, or on the aircraft itself, to maintain constant vigilance and recognize potential threats that might be present. Yes, we do perform security checks of the cargo and aircraft, at certain times. But it is also important for everyone, at all times, to be aware of anything (or anyone) that seems out of place--including suspicious activities, behavior, situations, or things--that could suggest possible acts of terrorism or terrorism-related criminal acts.

The TSA calls this notion: “If You See Something, Say Something.” So be constantly aware of your surroundings and immediately report any suspicious things or activity to the Aircraft Captain, the Ground Security Coordinator, the Aircraft Mechanic, or your supervisor before the cargo or aircraft departs.

Charity Drive
Great job, everyone! We've surpassed our goal by raising over $104,000 in this year's Charity Drive... and the pledges are still coming in! Thank you for your generosity in supporting the work of the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, the United Way of Clinton County, and local food pantries. Congratulations to all the raffle winners in last week's drawings. Thanks for contributing!

Cornhole Tournament Champions
Bragging rights for the year go to the Hole Burners (AMES employees Dylan Brown and Tony Fite) who won the 2016 Charity Drive Cornhole Tournament. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Toy Drive
Our ATSG Toy Drive ends this week, so don't miss your chance to be a Secret Santa for a child this Christmas. Collection boxes for new-in-box toys and games are located in the Administration Building front and back lobbies, or contact HR to make a donation by check (payable to Ho Ho Shop). All donations will be sent to the Ho Ho Shop for distribution to the many local kids whose families are struggling to give them a magical Christmas. Deadline is Friday, Dec. 9. Thank you!

Biggest Loser Challenge
Our 4th Quarter Biggest Loser Challenge was complete on Dec. 7, and our winner (i.e. biggest loser) is Stephen Ley! To date in 2016 we have collectively lost (for all individuals) over 1,500 pounds and raised more than $1,000 for charity along with collecting food (for food drive) and toys (for toy drive).

DHL Helps the Holidays Feel Like Home - for U.S. Troops
The charitable program ‘DHL Operation Holiday Cheer’ will deliver hundreds of Christmas trees, holiday decorations and messages of support to U.S. troops serving abroad. For U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain, it’s beginning to look--and smell--a lot like Christmas and the holidays. Hundreds of fresh-cut Christmas trees, along with thousands of holiday letters, menorahs, decorations and gifts, will find their way to these service men and women courtesy of DHL Express. DHL Express ships out the trees from their DHL Gateway facility at JFK Airport, where they will fly to the DHL Hub at the CVG. At CVG they will be loaded onto a DHL 777 aircraft that travels nonstop to the Middle East. This year ABX plays a small part in this worthwhile program by flying the trees from JFK to CVG.

Employee Anniversaries
The following ABX employees are celebrating anniversaries this month: Manager of Simulators Jack Greenwood with 30 years; Capt. Keith Bednar, Capt. Philip Myers, Capt. Bob Walter, and Capt. Tom Shanks with 25 years.

That’s all the news for this week. The next INFOline will be on December 22 by John Starkovich. Thank you for all you continue to do for our Company.

INFOline for November 25, 2016
Good morning, everyone. This is Phil Flowers with the ABX Air INFOline for November 25, 2016, hoping everyone had a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.

Safety and Compliance
One of the regulatory requirements concerning Safety Management System currently under FAA review is Safety Communication. This portion of the rule requires that we develop and maintain a means for communicating safety information that, at a minimum, does the following: Ensures employees are aware of the SMS policies, processes, and tools relevant to their responsibilities.

Conveys hazard information relevant to the employee’s responsibilities. Explains why safety actions have been taken. Explains why safety procedures are introduced or changed.

Here at ABX Air we complete some of these requirements at the corporate level, while other are completed within the functional areas of Flight, Maintenance, and Ground Operations. The Safety and Security Policy and the Safety Management System Manual posted for management on ABXnet, along with Safety Bulletins and our SafetyLine and Safety Connection newsletters, are published at the corporate level to provide this type of information and feedback. Flight, Ground Operations, and Maintenance also communicate safety information to their specific groups using a variety of crew or employee specific letters, attention notices, and bulletins. If you feel like you’re not receiving relevant safety information concerning your job, please bring it to the attention of your management or to the Safety Department by emailing abxsafety@abxair.com.

Company News
Our on-time service performance in October for our two largest customers was disappointing. DHL service for the month of October was 97.44%. Amazon service for the month of October was 97.97%, both subject to verification.

November Anniversaries
Flight Technical Training Instructor Roy Clark celebrates 35 years with the company this month. Capt. Mark Drews has reached 30 years, while Capt. Don Cartier and Supervisor of Flight Technical Training Steve Hanshew both have 25 years of service.

Charity Drive
The ATSG Charity Drive is your chance to support the awesome work of several charities in a convenient way. Our goal is to raise $100,000 to benefit the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, the United Way of Clinton County, and local food pantries. With your help, we can reach this goal and help solve problems for those in need.

The annual Pancake Breakfast hosted by AMES raised over $800! We ate 80 pounds of sausage links, 35 pounds of pancake batter, and 3 gallons of syrup! A big thank you goes out to everyone who donated and/or helped with the event, especially Doug Little and the Heavy Maintenance team!

A couple dozen gift baskets are being assembled and will be raffled off during the Charity Drive. Basket raffle tickets are $1 each of 6 for $5. We'll also hold a 50/50 drawing (tickets $1 each) at the end of the month. Please see Judy Branham, Tracey Dykes, or Tanya Woodford.

The holiday season can be a real struggle for many local parents. ATSG is helping spread the holiday joy to local needy children by teaming up with the Clinton County Ho-Ho Shop again this year. The Ho-Ho Shop is a voluntary organization that collects holiday gifts and monetary donations who serve as "Santa's Helpers" by distributing the donated gifts to children in need. One hundred percent of all donations are given to those in need right here in Clinton County. The deadline is Friday, Dec. 9. You can help in two ways:

- Donate new (unwrapped) toy(s) by placing them in the Ho Ho shop boxes throughout the Air Park.
- Make a monetary donation (tax deductible). Please see Judy Branham, Tracey Dykes, or Tanya Woodford.

Aircraft Maintenance
As we start our peak flying for our customers, our fleet utilization will increase and our reliability will be counted on to satisfy our obligation to our customers. Over the years of operating the B767, Aircraft Maintenance personnel have partnered with Boeing to give us a stronger voice in the high level development of maintenance enhancements to the fleet.

As many of you may know, every large airplane used in commercial airline service requires regularly scheduled inspections and preventative maintenance to ensure continued airworthiness. For each major model, such as the B767, a minimum maintenance and inspection program requirements document is developed by an Industry Steering Committee (ISC) which then gets approved by the FAA Maintenance Review Board (MRB).

The B767 ISC membership is comprised of representatives from Boeing, B767 operators, and the FAA. The ISC Chairperson is nominated and elected by the operator group. ABX’s Manager of Maintenance Programs and Reliability Rich Kafka is the current B767 ISC Chairman.

In his leadership role on the B767 ISC, Rich works to ensure that the input of all operators large and small is considered in the MRBR revision process and that the maintenance requirements are clear and concise, improve the operational safety of the airplane, and are economically viable.

Another area we’re involved with is the Boeing Structures Task Groups. They are Boeing-model-specific working groups developed to support specific initiatives of the FAA Aging Airplane Safety Rule as part of the Aging Aircraft Safety Act. The 767 group consists of members of B-767 operators and Regulatory personnel. It is led by a Boeing co-chair with an operator co-chair selected by operator members. ABX’s Manager of Engineering Joe Freese is the current co-chair leading the group with Boeing in sharing experiences, recommending improvements, developing and implementing practical solutions for emerging fleet issues.

The efforts of Rich and Joe are an example of the extra efforts some of our staff put forward in improving the fleet's reliability for our customers. The most important contribution everyone can make in improving our reliably and operational performance for our customers is to do our jobs to the best of our abilities.

That’s all for this week’s INFOline. Thank you for all you do to make ABX Air a success. Take care and have a safe, enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.

INFOline for October 14, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is Robert Boja with the ABX Air INFOline for October 14, 2016.

Safety
The following comes from Steve Janasov in the Safety Department. This month ABX’s safety reporting website, WBAT, received a face lift. On October 5, our WBAT made their much anticipated graphic user interface (GUI) update. This update does not affect the functionality of the online program, only the graphic interface. All carriers that use the WBAT interface were affected by the change. If you have any questions or problems, please contact the Safety Department.

This month marks the start of the calendar year for the FAA. The ASAP safety programs require each Event Review Committee (ERC) to conduct a 12-month review of each program. The review focusses on reported events that have been mitigated throughout the year with an emphasis on the effectiveness of the corrective actions. ABX sponsors ASAP for Flight Crew, Maintenance, and Flight Operations Officers.

Compliance
The following information is provided to us by Barb Brooks in Ground Operations. After a National 747 crashed just after takeoff in Afghanistan in April 2013, the FAA established the Cargo Focus Team (CFT) to provide technical cargo operations support to FAA Principle Inspectors (PI). The CFT was tasked with reviewing air cargo operations manuals and W&B manuals to provide concurrence for approval of those documents to the PIs (principal inspectors with the FAA).

ABX manuals were submitted to the CFT for review in late 2015. In September 2016, ABX received a memorandum from the FAA announcing the CFT's concurrence of the ABX Air Weight and Balance Control Program, making ABX Air one of the first U.S. 767 cargo carriers to receive CFT concurrence. The CFT completed the 747 operators first, since that is the type aircraft that crashed.

Congratulations to Bob Greene and his team for spearheading this effort. This is truly something to be proud of and a great reflection on ABXAIR.

Company News
Our on-time performance for the Amazon network so far this month is 97.67%, based on 172 lane segments with 4 delays thus far. DHL performance thus far for October comes in at 97.23%. It’s my belief we can do better simply by keeping our focus. Controlling the avoidable delays is key to maintaining a high level of service, and as I’ve said in the past it’s essential we do so. Take responsibility to help each other. Double-checking your work and making sure the job has been done properly will go along way to prevent avoidable delays. We fly airplanes, but service is what we sell. Nothing more than that.

The Wilmington Air Park is now capable of Category III approaches, expanding our capabilities to operate into the air park. Category III approaches will allow landings to 600 feet of visibility. Stay tuned for further updates.

We have adopted a filter for NOTAMs, which greatly reduces the amount of paperwork necessary to release a flight. What’s a NOTAM? It’s simply an acronym for Notice to Airman. These notices contain information pertinent for the safe operation of the flight--items such as runway or taxiway closures, for instance. They also contain much information that isn’t pertinent to the operation such as a balloon drop at 3,000 feet, which is inconsequential to our flights. Those items have been eliminated. Most flights have seen a reduction of about 50% of the paperwork prior to filtering the NOTAMs. This is obviously a huge paper savings but more importantly allows dispatchers and pilots to focus on important NOTAMs and not become distracted by superfluous information. That is a large safety improvement and a better operationally compliant flight. Thank you to everyone in GFS for making this happen.

To date we have hired 54 new pilots and recalled 8 furloughed pilots this year to accommodate the additional flying at ABX Air. We also have upgraded 31 pilots to captains this year to support the expansion. Welcome aboard and congratulations. A much deserved thank you to our team in Human Resources for dusting off the hiring program and filling these positions in record time.

ABX Air has a new POI (principal operations inspector) with the FAA. His name is Larry Ward and has served with ABX Air in the past. We look forward to his guidance and oversight. Welcome aboard, Larry.

Congratulations to Capt. Bill Kocher on 35 years of service to the company. Also celebrating anniversaries this month are Simulator Tech III Mike Goodman and Capt. Mike Reed with 25 years; System Chief Pilot Capt. Dean Cook, First Officer Craig King, First Officer Beth Mayer, and First Officer David Morton with 20 years; and Aircraft Maintenance Administration Assistant Beth Mullenix with 5 years of service.

That’s it for this week. Stay tuned for the next INFOline.

INFOline for September 19, 2016
Hello, this is Jeff Walling, Director of Human Resources with the ABX Air INFOline update for Monday, September 19, 2016.

Safety
In Safety news, the FAA will be facilitating one of two annual Safety InfoShares this week in Kansas City, Missouri. InfoShare is a confidential biannual industry-sponsored cooperative meeting where airline industry safety representatives share aviation safety concerns, mitigation strategies, and best practices. On the agenda for discussion at this meeting are SMS Implementation, Fatigue Mitigation Strategies, Effects of Improper Cargo Loading, Pilot Misuse/Overreliance of Automation, and Turbulence Hazards mitigation. This event is being attended by representatives from ABX Air Flight Department, Safety Department, and the Airline Professional Association Teamsters Local 1224. We look forward to this sharing of lessons learned, important safety information, and industry best practices.

Compliance
In Compliance news, the Safety Department has vetted its SMS Training Plan with our Accountable Executive, our compliance manager community, and FAA Certificate Management Team. Level III SMS Training for pilots has commenced and is being conducted as part of Crew Resource Management initial for new-hires and annual recurrent for on-board pilots and Global Flight Source Flight Operations Officers. Level II Training, which is designed for our Executives and Senior Management personnel, is scheduled to be conducted in October. Level I Training is oriented towards line management and will be conducted in the first calendar quarter of 2017. Level III training for non-pilots will be conducted after Level II training is complete.

Company News
In company news, our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of August, subject to verification, is 97.21%. Similarly, for the third quarter of 2016, we are at 98.00% on time performance, subject to verification. For Amazon, for the month of August, subject to verification we are at a 98.5% on-time performance.

Congratulations to the following ABX employees that are celebrating milestone anniversaries during the month of September. Congratulations to Captain Randy Brooks who is celebrating his 40th anniversary with ABX Air. Captain Dave Eck and Captain Randy Wallace will reach their 30th anniversary this month. Power Plant Repair Controller Matt Krakowiak will celebrate his 25th year with us, and Lead Line Maintenance Rep. John Marotta in JFK celebrates his 20th year. Also reaching 20 years are First Officer David Taschuk and First Officer Johnny Ayo. Thank you all for years of service to ABX Air and all that you have done to help ABX Air be successful.

Flu Shots
Walgreens will be at the Wilmington Air Park to offer Flu Shots on Monday, September 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and again on Wednesday, September 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Flu shots are available at no cost for employees and dependents age 14 and older who are covered under the United Healthcare insurance. The Centers for Disease Control reports that only injectable flu shots are being offered this season nationwide. Unlike prior years, the nasal spray vaccine is not being offered this season due to concerns about its effectiveness.

The Walgreens’ pharmacist will be administering the vaccinations in first floor Conference Room A behind the security desk in the Administration Building. No appointment is necessary, but please bring your United Healthcare I.D. card. If you are unable to attend or you live in other locations, you can obtain your flu shot at any United Healthcare participating pharmacy (where permitted by state law).

Annual Golf Outing for Charity
The AMES 2016 annual golf event that benefits our various charities was held on August 27 and was a huge success. AMES Vice-President Jim Savastano advises that a goal of $10,000 had been set. AMES blew right through that goal and ended up raising $14,000. Congratulations to AMES and everyone that helped to make the event so successful.

ABX Air is Hiring
We have several job openings posted on our web site at www.abxair.com/careers. We have openings in various locations around the country for aircraft line maintenance positions. We also have openings in management, professional, and technical positions at our Wilmington location. We have both full-time and casual openings. ABX Air is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Affirmative Action Employer. If you of know of someone looking for an aviation career, please see our website for more information.

Other News
In other news, the United States Air Force 20th Anniversary Marathon was held this past weekend at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and there were a number of ABX Air employees who participated. Walter Pico, Stephen Ley, and Terry Hubbard from ABX Aircraft Maintenance ran in the half marathon and came up with some rather impressive times, but Brian Laycock from LGSTX took only 2 hours and 1 minute to run the 13.1 mile course. Very impressive. But there is more. Tricia McIntire and Dave McFarlane--both of Aircraft Maintenance--and Dave’s wife Vicki ran the 10K. Their daughter Jennifer ran the full marathon, and son Scott and daughter Kati ran the half marathon.

The winner of the Women’s Division of the Full Marathon was Ms. Rachel Harley who finished the 26.2 miles in a time 2:58:31. Rachel is the daughter of ABX Air Captain Bill Harley. Both Bill and his father are Air Force veterans, and this was the very first marathon that Rachel has run. There may be more to come with this kind of showing. Congratulations to everyone who participated in the local event. You should all be extremely proud as we certainly are proud of you. There were 15,000 participants in this year’s events and over $106,000 was raised for charity.

Well, that’s all I have for this week. John Starkovich will be back with the next update on September 29. Thanks for listening.

INFOline for August 18, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is Eric Plas with the ABX Air INFOline for August 18, 2016.

Safety
The summer edition of the ABX Air SafetyLine was published last month to the pilot group and selected members of management and our certificate management team. This edition discusses lessons learned from our line operation experience and provides important feedback to operational stakeholders that is derived and reported through our safety programs. The Safety Connection newsletter contains safety information germane to our entire workforce along with information about our Safety Management System implementation and will be published later this month. If you have information you think merits publishing in this or future editions of either publication, please contact the Safety Department.

Compliance
The ABX Air Safety Department has started their implementation of SMS-Pro software in support of Safety Management System processes and data. SMS-Pro is used worldwide by aviation service providers to manage FAA and IATA based safety management systems. This software is built to manage all SMS documentation and supports hazard reporting, audit functions, and key performance indicator tracking in a single, centralized database. The program will eventually be accessible by all employees from any personal electronic device including desktop, iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Company News
Our on-time performance for Amazon for the month of August to date 97.86%, and our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of August so far, subject to verification, is 97.31%. The best we can do for the month would be 98.44%. Folks, service is the name of the game; it's what we do and what our customers expect. We are going to have to have a great second half of the month to reach our goals. Every departure is critical, and all of us have to be prepared and focused and keep our eye on the ball and deliver.

In support of the ongoing ATSG charities effort, the Past and the Furious car and motorcycle show went off as planned this past weekend. The event planners report that 67 cars and motorcycles were entered, which is down from past years mostly due to the threatening storms and rain in the forecast. Nevertheless a good time was had by all especially for Scott Malicotte who received the Judge's pick for overall best in show for his 2008 Ford Shelby Snake. Also receiving a top award for Motorcycles was Mack McKibben receiving the Peoples' Choice award for his 2010 Harley Davidson XL1200X. As a result of the show, $3,103 was collected for the ATSG charities. To extend the fun event t-shirts are still on sale for $3, as well as hats for $6 and visors for $5. If you're interested, contact Tanya Woodford at ext. 62318. Again, thank you to all the volunteers who make this event such a success!

The latest class of 10 newly hired pilots began earlier this month. This bring to the total new hires to 38 since May of this year. Welcome aboard, and we're looking forward to having you on the line.

This weekend ABX will begin a new route for Amazon with a Stockton-based tail. The route will go through Allenton and Charlotte then back to Stockton, while making Charlotte the latest new location for Amazon service, marking the seventh location opened by ATSG companies.

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

INFOline for August 4, 2016
Good afternoon everyone. This is John Starkovich with the ABX Air INFOline for August 4, 2016.

Safety
Congratulations to our First Quarter Safety Award recipients. Three individuals were selected for this quarter. Manager of Aircraft Maintenance Planning Walter Pico was nominated and selected for formulating and safety solutions for our ETOPS monitoring process. Second, Captain Ryan Emmert was selected for developing detailed LOFT scenarios for oceanic contingency procedures, such as our LAX – Honolulu route, thus improving safety on this true ETOPS-180 route. Third, LGSTX employee Joyce Griffith was selected for timely notifying Flight Control to correct a load plan error which ensured the operating crew was working within regulatory loading parameters. Each recipient received letters of thanks along with a token of our appreciation for a job well done. If you have observed behavior in an employee that significantly contributes to the safety of our operation, please bring it to the attention of the Safety Department.

Compliance
Written notification was received this week from the Department of Defense Air Mobility Command thanking ABX Air for our cooperation during the June Department of Defense Biennial Survey. ABX Air was cited as meeting Commercial Air Carrier Quality and Safety Requirements and approved for continued participation in the DOD Air Transportation Program. Thanks to all of the employees who prepared extensive checklists and interfaced with the DOD audit team for this important audit. Part of the audit included a random Air Mobility Command Mission observation during a regular mission flight. Congratulations and thanks to Captain Dean Sollmann, First Officer Keith Tucker, and Professional Loadmaster Lethaniel Martin for their excellent performance on a Guantanamo Bay DOD Charter in early July.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of August, subject to verification, is 98.21%. Tentatively, we ended July with an on-time performance of 98.15%. Similarly, for the second quarter of 2016, we achieved an 98.28% on time performance, subject to verification.

Our parent company, Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (ATSG), will release its second quarter 2016 financial results and file its Form 10-Q with the Securities & Exchange Commission on Monday, August 8, 2016, after the stock market closes. ATSG also announced that it will host an investor conference call to review its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2016, on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight time. Please refer to the website at www.atsginc.com for times and telephone numbers for the live call or to listen to the recorded sessions. Again, the web site is www.atsginc.com.

Congratulations to the following ABX employees that are celebrating milestone anniversaries during the month of August. Congratulations to Purchasing Manager Cheryl Webb. Cheryl is celebrating her 35th Anniversary with ABX Air. Those that have reached 25 years of service this month are: Capt. David B. Bell, First Officer Jim Dym, Aircraft Records Specialist Tina Glaser, Capt. Darren Hill, Capt. Steve Hill, Capt. Bob Ranson, and Capt. John Thompson. Thank you for your service to ABX Air over these past 25 years and we look forward to more success with you in the years to come. And reaching his 20th year anniversary is First Officer Anthony Magaletta. Thank you all for years of service to ABX Air and all that you have done to help ABX Air be successful.

By now every ABX employee who works at the Wilmington Air Park should have completed the process to receive a replacement Wilmington Air Park badge. Thank you for completing this task in a smooth and efficient manner. And for those that for some reason have not yet completed the process, please kindly take care of this right away. As a reminder if you are an out-base employee with a ILN badge, you may complete this process on your next scheduled visit to ILN.

The Past & The Furious IV, our fourth annual charity car and bike show organized and supported by employees of ATSG companies, is Saturday, August 13 (rain or shine) at the old Welcome Center parking lot at Wilmington Air Park. Admission and parking are free. Vehicle entries are $10 to display your car or bike; registration is 9 a.m. to Noon, and awards at 3 p.m. There also will be door prizes; a raffle; and a swap meet. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, the United Way of Clinton County, and local food pantries. Volunteers are needed! Help is needed with car judging, car parking, raffle ticket sales, and set up/tear down. Contact Tanya Woodford (tanya.woodford@abxair.com or ext. 62318) for more information.

August is Food Drive Month at the Wilmington Air Park. Food Donations are being collected in the Administration Building Main Lobby and will be donated to local food banks. Donate at least 6 canned goods or non-perishable items, case of water, or $5 cash will get your name entered into a drawing for a $25 Kroger Gift Card to be given away on August 30. Please kindly help support the local food banks.

Other News
In the July 29 edition of Cargo Facts Update, it was reported that there has been a change of ownership and leadership at Amerijet. A New York based private equity firm acquired a majority stake in Miami-based Amerijet Holdings, Inc., and its logistics subsidiary, for an undisclosed amount. In addition to the change in ownership, Amerijet’s founder, Dave Bassett will step down as the group’s CEO, to be replaced by Vic Karjian. Amerijet operates an extensive US road network, and the company’s airline, Amerijet International, operates three 767-300BDSFs, three 767-200BDSFs, and three 727-200Fs in scheduled and charter service to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America from its hub in Miami. You may recall that the 767 aircraft operated by Amerijet are leased to them by CAM, our sister company.

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

INFOline for July 21, 2016
Hello, this is Steve Janasov, Director of Safety, with the ABX Air INFOline for July 21, 2016.

Safety
As we continue to implement our Safety Management System, one of the larger challenges concerns the management of change. Change management is an integral component of the ‘Hazard Identification and Tracking’ block within the Safety Risk Management Pillar of SMS. Change management is used when an airline is going to do something different. This can be something complicated, such as flying a new aircraft model or implementing new operational equipment, including hardware and software. It also can be something more routine like revising a functional area manual, modifying an existing process or procedure, or flying to a new destination. Change management is a pro-active hazard identification process that allows us to introduce changes to our operations with the hazards already identified and risk already controlled to an acceptable level.

Part 5.51 of the SMS Rule specifies that a certificate holder must apply Safety Risk {Change} Management when:
- Implementing new systems,
- during revision of existing systems,
- prior to implementation of new operating procedures, and
- when hazards or ineffective controls are identified through the safety assurance process.

Successful change management has been occurring at ABX Air since our inception, but for SMS purposes it will require increased documentation. Procedures to document ‘Change Management’ are already developed and currently being tested by compliance managers in Flight, Maintenance, Ground Operations, and Safety. These procedures will be published in the Safety Management System Manual.

Compliance
In compliance and as part of our SMS Implementation, ABX Air and our FAA Certificate Management Team have commenced a monthly conference meeting to evaluate our progress as specified in our FAA Approved Implementation Plan. The first conference was conducted on July 14. Henceforth, the meetings will be held monthly and involve all lines of business including Flight, Maintenance, Ground Operations, and Security. Completion of our implementation will require us to stay on schedule and, if behind, provide justification along with updated target dates for task completion. Since SMS implementation is mandated by congressional law, no extensions are authorized by the FAA and meeting the scheduled timeline for full implementation prior to January 8, 2018 is imperative. The ABX Air goal remains to complete SMS implementation in June, 2017.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL to-date for the month of July and the start of the 3rd quarter, subject to verification, is 97.96%. Tentatively, we completed June with an on-time performance of 97.60%. Similarly, for the second quarter of 2016, we ended at 98.28% on-time performance, all subject to verification.

At DHL's invitation, ABX Air again participated in the DHL Global Airside Safety Conference, July 12-14, held at the DHL Worldwide Network Headquarters in Brussels. This second annual event was hosted by the DHL Global Airside Standards team and included dozens of ground operational and airside participants representing DHL North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and the Western Pacific. Also attending were representatives from other air carrier partners, such as: Aerologic, ATI, Atlas, European Air Transport, MNG, Farnair, Polar, Southern, Swiftair, Kallita Air, Blue Dart, Raya, Tasman, Yangtze River Express, and Air Hong Kong. The aim of the conference was to bring together various DHL and service provider subject matter experts from throughout the DHL airside ground network to address safety and operational issues common to all. The three-day event included group and individual presentations, workshops, and discussions focusing on such topics as: safety updates from the various DHL regions, safety trends, incidents / accidents, dangerous goods, regulatory compliance, new technology, corporate risk & insurance, and safety management systems. As follow-on to the conference, the participants from these three safety action groups will continue to meet regularly via teleconferences to research, describe problems, risk assess hazards, and develop proposed solutions for common areas of concern.

Our People
In other company news, Chris Theofilos, Material Planner/Provisioner completes 30 years of Airborne/ABX service this month. Please join me in congratulating Chris on this milestone anniversary.

The 3rd Quarter Biggest Loser Challenge kicks off on July 27. For the entry cost of $10, you can compete against your co-workers in this weight loss challenge event. The winner with the greatest percentage weight loss will receive 50% of the registration pot with the balance being donated to charity. Please contact Tracey Dykes in Human Resources for more details if interested in joining the challenge.

The 4th annual Past and Furious Community Charity Car and Bike Show will be held on August 13 in the Wilmington Air Park Welcome Center parking lot. The event will be held rain or shine. Look for more details about the show on the postings in our break rooms and other locations around the airport, and pencil the date on your calendar.

Industry News
On June 22, Air Transport Service Group announced that it has agreed to repurchase $50 million of its common shares at $13.07 per share, representing 3.8 million shares from its largest shareholder, a fund affiliated with Red Mountain Capital Partners, LLC. The shares represent approximately 6 percent of ATSG’s outstanding shares. Quint Turner, Chief Financial Officer of ATSG, said the transaction is a positive development for the company and its shareholders, and is consistent with ATSG’s stated goals to significantly reduce the dilutive effect of warrants issued to Amazon for up to 19.9 percent of ATSG shares.

That’s all for today’s INFOline. Thanks for all you do for ABX Air and please have a safe and productive day!

INFOline for June 23, 2016
Hello, this is Tammy Voss with the ABX Air INFOline for June 23, 2016. I hope everyone is doing well.

Safety & Compliance
Each year, ABX operates our aircraft under contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, in a program called CRAF. This week officials from the Department of Defense CRAF office, at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois visited ABX. During their visit the CRAF team conducted an in-depth survey of the ABX Professional Loadmaster program. The professional loadmaster's duties on a CRAF Charter flight include: supervising the preparation of the cargo, including dangerous goods; the loading and ground handling of the aircraft; the calculation of the weight and balance of the aircraft for flight; and the overall security of the operation. ABX was one of many air carrier visits made by the CRAF team, with the aim of understanding and benchmarking loadmaster / cargo best practices within the industry. The CRAF team intends to take the best practices they glean from certain carriers and share them with the CRAF air carrier community as a whole - with the hope of improving the overall safety and operational efficiency of the entire CRAF cargo system.

Holiday Schedule
ABX Air offices will be closed on Monday, July 4, in observance of the upcoming Independence Day holiday. Please have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

Performance
So far this month, our on-time performance under the DHL CMI Operations is 97.74%. In the past two weeks we have had a number of maintenance issues in the CMI Ops. Aircraft Maintenance is addressing these issues going forward.

Employee Badging
Badges issued by the Wilmington Air Park will be expiring soon. Employees at ILN will need to complete the required security awareness online training--and the on-base driving training, if applicable--then submit a completed badge application, along with a photocopy of a government-issued ID, no later than July 1 in order to receive a new Air Park badge. Copies of the application are available from Human Resources, or may be downloaded from ABXnet by clicking on Employee Connections, then Badge Information, then Airport Badge Application. Your new badge will be available from the Security Desk a few days after your application is approved.

American Cancer Society Relay for Life
ABX Air and other ATSG companies will be staffing a booth at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life this Saturday, June 25 in Wilmington. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Cancer survivors are invited to participate in the Survivors' Lap at the start of the event. We will be selling food at our booth, walking in the relay, and handing out giveaways. Those interested in volunteering may contact Judy Branham (ext. 62388) or Melody Joy (ext. 62333) for more information.

Business News
Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATSG) announced this week that it has agreed to repurchase $50 million of its common shares at $13.07 per share, representing approximately 3.8 million shares, from its largest shareholder, a fund affiliated with Red Mountain Capital Partners LLC. The shares purchased represent approximately 6 percent of ATSG’s outstanding shares. Red Mountain is an investment management firm based in Los Angeles, Calif., with approximately $480 million in discretionary assets under management as of March 31, 2016. Its affiliated fund has been a shareholder of ATSG since 2006. It will continue to hold approximately 11 percent of ATSG shares outstanding following the transaction.

On June 18, 2016, DHL Express was named the Best Express Operator for the 27th time at the 2016 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards (AFLAS) held in Shanghai. The award comes as DHL Express continues to invest significantly throughout the Asia Pacific region, introducing extensive infrastructure upgrades and process innovations. The AFLAS are the only Asian logistics awards to be decided by customer votes alone, earning them a reputation as a bellwether for customer sentiment in the logistics industry.

Thank you for your time and all that you do for our Company. Have a fantastic Independence Day!

INFOline for June 9, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is John Starkovich with the ABX Air INFOline for June 9, 2016.

Safety
The National Safety Council has designated June 2016 as National Safety Month. National Safety Month focuses on reducing the leading causes of injury at the workplace, at home, and in between. Here at ABX Air, as part of our Safety Management System, we encourage all employees to identify and report safety hazards to their first-line supervisor and to our Safety department through our non-punitive reporting system. Also, during our on-going annual performance appraisal process, I encourage each member of management to ensure that the safety portion of the evaluation is used to ensure that safety remains the top focus of our day-to-day performance efforts for all employees.

Compliance
This past week, three auditors from the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command's Commercial Airlift Division conducted the biennial DOD Audit for ABX Air. Our compliance managers in Flight, Dispatch, Maintenance, and Ground Operations were prepared and did an excellent job. A detailed out-brief was conducted by the team members, but the final results will not be available until the recommendations from the audit team are accepted and published by their internal Command Quality Review Board. Thanks to all the compliance team in maintenance, flight, ground operations, and admin/safety who were involved in the preparation and completion of this important audit. ABX Air remains proud to be a part of the Air Force Air Mobility team in both DOD Charter Operations and as a Civil Reserve Air Fleet partner.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of June, subject to verification, is 98.49%. Tentatively, we ended May with an on-time performance of 98.59%. Similarly, for the second quarter of 2016, we are at 98.60% on time performance to date, all subject to verification.

Congratulations to the following ABX employees that are celebrating milestone anniversaries during the month of June. We have three employees that are all celebrating 25 years with ABX Air and are all pilots. Congratulations to Captains Robert Conway, Dennis Nelson, and Steven Tiernan. Thank you for your service to ABX Air over these past 25 years, and we look forward to more success with you in the years to come.

New Hire Pilots Class: Please join me in welcoming our second class of new hire pilots. Another eight new hire pilots started on June 6 and will complete approximately eight weeks of classroom and simulator instruction before starting their Initial Operating Experience. Together, this class averages over 7,900 hours of flying time with verified backgrounds including operating experience in 727, 737, MD-11,and regional jet aircraft. The next class is scheduled to start July 11.

ILN Airport ID Badges: Our Wilmington Air Park badges will expire soon, and the airport badge office has started producing replacements. Currently, replacement badges are being prepared for LGSTX Services employees. Later this month, there will be an announcement about when ABX employees can start the replacement process. As part of the replacement process, each ABX employee with an ILN badge will need to complete a new Wilmington Air Park badge application form and complete the required security awareness online training and the on-base driving training (if applicable). At this point, there is nothing you need to do except look for a future announcement with additional details and directions on how to complete the process.

Just a reminder to those of you who drive on State Route 73 into or leaving ILN to get to Interstate 71. It will be closed east of Smith Road for 17 days beginning at 7:30 a.m. Monday, June 13, for culvert work. The detour will use US 68 and Interstate 71.

Other News
In the May 27 edition of CargoFacts update, it was reported that on May 25 FedEx completed its acquisition of TNT. Initially, nothing much will change. "In the near term, customers can expect to interact with each company as they always have," is the official line from the joint press release published by FedEx and TNT.

As for the airline component, the article also reported that ASL acquired TNT’s airlines. EU law forbids foreign ownership of European airlines just as US law forbids majority foreign ownership of US airlines. Therefore, FedEx could only purchase TNT’s ground operations and not TNT airlines. In February of this year, Ireland/European based ASL Aviation Group reached an agreement to acquire the two airlines owned by TNT Express. So, concurrent with FedEx’s acquisition of TNT Express this week, ASL acquired TNT Airways and Pan Air, renaming them ASL Airlines Belgium and ASL Airlines Spain, respectively. As part of the deal, ASL "has entered a multi-year service agreement to operate flights for the new FedEx-TNT combination." Under this agreement, the 580 employees of TNT Airways and Pan Air will transition to employment by ASL, and "current terms and conditions of employment will be respected." In addition to the 33 freighters operated by its own airlines, TNT Express also leased lift from other carriers on an ACMI basis.

This is important to ATSG and us because ATSG owns a 25% interest in West Atlantic AB. West Atlantic AB owns 2 airlines, one of which is West Atlantic Sweden that operates three 767-200 aircraft now for ASL as part of the FedEx-TNT network. Those 767-200 aircraft for that network are leased by West Atlantic Sweden from our sister company CAM.

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

INFOline for May 26, 2016
Hello, ladies and gentlemen. This is Bob Greene, Manager of Ground Operations, with the ABX Air INFOline for May 26, 2016.

Safety
Recently, with the increased Amazon air operations being conducted here at Wilmington, the incidence of FOD found on our ramp has also increased.

What is FOD?
FOD, or Foreign Object Debris, is defined by the FAA 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.

What are the hazards of FOD?
FOD can severely injure airport or air carrier personnel 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. Examples of FOD include aircraft and engine fasteners; aircraft parts; mechanics' tools; personal items; debris from pallets, equipment, or vehicles; concrete chunks; pieces of wood, metal, stone, plastic, or other trash.

Why is controlling FOD important?
FOD containment and control is mandated by the FAA, as a reduction to the potential risks to personnel, and the safe operation of aircraft. It is estimated that FOD damage to aircraft costs the aviation industry $4.4 billon annually. The cost to repair a FOD-damaged engine can easily exceed $1 million. FOD also can cause us to incur extensive indirect costs, including flight delays and cancellations, leading to a loss of customers; schedule disruptions caused by the need to reposition airplanes and crews; or potential liability because of injury.

What can we do?
• Practice "clean as you go". Pick up any loose debris as you move between gates or the building and the aircraft operations.
• Ensure that items placed in receptacles are secured.
• If you drop it, pick it up. Something as small as a dime may result in injury or damage to an aircraft.
• Report damaged equipment and place it out of service.
• FOD control is everyone’s job!

Compliance
This month so far ABX Air has completed two third-party audits, from TSA and FAA, and will experience a DOD audit in June.

Outside Audits
The FAA audit was conducted by a hazardous materials agent assigned to the Chicago regional office. It focused on ABX hazmat cargo handling and loading procedures in our ILN Amazon operation. The TSA inspection was completed by four inspectors from the TSA Cincinnati office over two days. The first part concentrated on the cargo and aircraft security procedures associated with the ILN Amazon operation. The second part took place at the Cincinnati DHL Hub and was an in-depth look at the process for DHL to accept, process, and tender cargo suitable for being carried on a passenger aircraft subsequent to it being transported by ABX to one of several DHL Gateway cities (such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles for example). As you might suspect, cargo destined to be carried on passenger flights must undergo very rigorous handling and screening procedures.

Both the FAA and TSA audits confirmed that ABX hazmat and security procedures continue to be compliant, safe, and secure, thanks to everyone’s hard work and attention to detail.

DOD CRAF Audit
During the first week of June the DOD will visit ABX Air at ILN to conduct a technical capability survey which reviews transportation quality and safety requirements. This is the full-week audit that is conducted on-site every two years and will assess ABX’s continuing fitness to participate in the DOD CRAF program.

AMES Business
Our sister company AMES was once again a part of the MRO Americas show hosted by Aviation Week magazine. With over 830 exhibitors, this show is the premiere event for the commercial air transport maintenance, repair, and overhaul industry. It provides a world-class venue for sharing experiences, debating issues, gathering knowledge, and exchanging ideas and best practices.

More than 600 leads were collected at the booth with countless numbers of people who stopped to learn more about AMES, its mission, and its outstanding workforce. Many meetings with their current customer base not only resulted in signed contracts but also enabled them to engage in additional opportunities for business in Engineering, Manufacturing, and Material Services.

Also, the new AMES paint booth is now in full operation. CRO techs shot four different paint jobs (B767 Inlet, two B767 slats, and a variety of parts for manufacturing) all at once, with no overspray and no contamination issues. It is working as advertised, "plus some," was the comment from AMES CRO Technician Steve Grimm. The inlet for N714AX was completed two days earlier than planned by utilizing the cure cycle, alleviating the need for work over the weekend to meet the customer needs. Additionally, the slats were delivered earlier than planned as a result of being able to be painted in conjunction with the inlet.

AMES Interiors also completed the first shipset of Aft Lavatories for Delta and continue to build AMES' aircraft interiors business. And finally, AMES Manufacturing continues to build its book of business by adding two new customers in the first quarter: GoAero and Matrix Research.

ABX News
ABX has released the 2016 Pay Plan – so, as a reminder, it’s time for supervisors to begin completing their annual employee performance appraisals.

Two executives from Air General, one of our Ground Handling contractors in the Amazon network, were here for meetings with Jeremy Heard. Air General President Patrick Maloney and Paul Siebols, VP of Operations, were here this week to discuss additional Amazon opportunities and to observe the ILN operations.

Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of May, subject to verification, was 98.18%. For the 2nd Quarter, so far, we stand at 98.46%, also subject to verification.

Please have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend, and let’s all take a few moments to remember and honor our fallen military service members.

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

INFOline for May 12, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is John Starkovich with the ABX Air INFOline for May 12, 2016.

Safety
One of the benefits of our Safety Management Team implementation is providing our employees and contractor or vendor employees with an opportunity to confidentially report safety or security issues or concerns. Some employee groups are covered under FAA and Company sponsored Aviation Action Safety Program’s reporting process; however, all employees can submit confidential reports by emailing our safety department at abxairsafety@abxair.com or calling the SMS Safety Hotline at 937-366-3000 and leaving a voice message. A response will be provided to each email report submitter, and voice replies will be made if requested by the submitter. Completely anonymous reports can also be submitted to WeTip, a third party service providing 24-hour, 365-day service at www.wetip.com or calling 800-782-7475.

Compliance
The U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command Team Chief has verified that the biennial Department of Defense Survey will be conducted for ABX Air on June 7-10. Our compliance managers in Flight, Dispatch, Maintenance and Ground Operations have completed the appropriate checklists and are sending them to the Inspection Team for review prior to the inspection. Thanks to all who have prepared for the survey, and we invite all employees to please welcome the Air Mobility Command team members upon their arrival in less than a month.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of May, subject to verification, is 97.46%. Tentatively, we ended April with an on-time performance of 98.66%. Similarly, for the second quarter of 2016, we are at 98.34% on time performance to date, all subject to verification.

Congratulations to the following ABX employees that are celebrating milestone anniversaries during the month of May: Safety Supervisor IEP and SMS Administrator Diane Hibbett celebrating 35 years with ABX Air; Manager of Maintenance Planning Walter Pico and 767 Capt. Richard Taylor celebrating 25-year anniversaries; and 767 First Officer Jan Kania with 20 years. Thank you for your service to ABX Air over the years and congratulations.

New Hire Pilots Class
Please join me in welcoming our first class of new hire pilots. Ten new hire pilots started May 9 and will complete approximately eight weeks of classroom and simulator instruction before starting their Initial Operating Experience. Together, this class averages over 8,800 hours of flying time with verified backgrounds including 767, 747, MD-11, DC-10, C-17, and regional jet time. The next class is scheduled to start June 6.

401(k) Beneficiary Update
If you have not done so already, please update your beneficiaries for your 401(k) account online with Fidelity. Our record-keeping is transitioning to all electronic, and you need to enter your beneficiary information directly as the paper records will not transition automatically. It takes only a few minutes to complete the information at www.401k.com. Make sure records are up-to-date.

Pension Funding Notice
Recently the Company mailed the annual pension Funding Notices to all participants in the Retirement Income Plan and the Pilots Minimum Monthly Plan. I am pleased to share with you that the funding levels for both plans exceed 100%. The Retirement Income Plan is at 108%, and the Pilots Minimum Monthly Plan is at 104%. Since the Company became independent in 2003, the Company has contributed over $438 million to these two plans. That does not count contributions to the 401(k) plans. Keeping the retirement plans financially stable and retirement benefits secure is a substantial Company commitment to our employees. If you have any questions about these notices, please contact Vickie Hurt in the Human Resources Dept.

Parent Company News
On May 10, ATSG announced 1st Quarter 2016 results. For the first quarter of 2016, compared with the first quarter of 2015:
• Revenues increased 21 percent to $177.4 million. Excluding revenues from reimbursed expenses, revenues increased 18 percent. This increase included contributions from five more dry leases of Boeing 767 cargo aircraft with external customers, and expanded air network operations for ATSG's newest customer, Amazon Fulfillment Services Inc. (AFS).
• Pre-tax Earnings from Continuing Operations were $12.1 million, versus $14.5 million in the prior year period. Adjusted Pre-Tax Earnings, as defined in the Earnings Summary later in the press release, increased 13 percent to $16.1 million. That metric excludes non-cash charges associated with pension costs, debt issuance costs at a European affiliate, and the effects of financial instrument transactions. Factors affecting our pre-tax results this year included higher expenses for scheduled heavy maintenance checks and costs to prepare flight crews and other personnel for expanding airline operations. Additionally, the prior-year quarter benefited by $1.6 million from the completion of then on-cash amortization of a note payable to DHL.
• Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) from Continuing Operations increased 11 percent to $51.3 million. Adjustments to EBITDA in 2016 are the same items excluded from Adjusted Pre-Tax Earnings.
• Net earnings from Continuing Operations for 1st quarter were $8.2 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, versus $8.9 million, or $0.14 per diluted share for 2015 1st quarter.
Please refer to the entire press release and comments by ATSG CEO Joe Hete at the www.atsginc.com web site.

On May 12, 2016, our parent company ATSG also held its annual shareholders meeting and re-elected six directors to one-year terms, approved four other proposals, and provided an advisory vote as follows:
1. Ratified the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for fiscal year 2016;
2. Held an advisory vote on executive compensation;
3. Approved an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of the Company’s common stock from 75,000,000 to 85,000,000 (the “Charter Amendment”) ;
4. Approved the issuance by the Company of 20 percent or more of the Company’s currently issued and outstanding common stock in a proposed private placement for purposes of NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635 (the “Stock Issuance”); and
5. Approved the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the Charter Amendment and Stock Issuance if there were not sufficient votes for such proposals.

A complete report of the results of the meeting will be filed in a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

INFOline for April 28, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is Phil Flowers with the ABX Air INFOline for April 28, 2016.

Safety
The 2015 Safety Summary has been published on the ABX SafetyNet. Included in the summary are airline safety statistics regarding General Safety Reporting, Aviation Safety Action Program, Flight Operations Quality Assurance, and Fatigue Risk Management as well as information from our Internal Audit and Evaluation Program and SMS Implementation. Questions concerning the summary can be sent to the Safety Department or brought up to management. Congratulations to all for making it through 2015 without a single OSHA recordable accident. Please keep up the good work.

Compliance
While now part of the Safety Management System framework, ABX Air has maintained a corporate Emergency Response Plan. This plan includes the Aircraft Mishap Response Plan, the ILN Emergency Response Plan (maintained by the Clinton County Port Authority), the DHL CVG Emergency Response Plan for employees who work at the Cincinnati hub, and an Out-base Emergency Response and Crisis Communication plan for out-based employees. These plans are currently being reviewed and will be posted on an updated version of the ABX SafetyNet web page in the near future.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of March, was 98.71%. Similarly, for the first quarter of 2016, we were at 98.42% on-time performance, all subject to verification.

Now Hiring
ABX Air currently has several job openings. We are accepting applications for 767 First Officers, A&P Mechanics and Line Maintenance Representatives at various locations, an Assistant Simulator Technician, a General Ledger Analyst, a Safety Specialist/Analyst, and a Field Supervisor for the west coast aircraft maintenance operations. If you know a qualified candidate who is looking for employment, please ask him or her to apply at our employment web site, which can be found under the Careers section on abxair.com. ABX Air is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Charity Drive
It's time once again to round up your team for the ATSG Volleyball League! The registration fee is $10 per person, and all proceeds benefit the ATSG Charity Drive. To sign up, email Courtney Zimmerman (Courtney.Zimmerman@airtransport.cc) the names of your team members no later than Friday, May 6. Then turn in your registration money before your first game to Courtney in the ATI HR department (where Payroll use to be). The first matches will be Wednesday, May 11. Join the fun and get some fresh air, exercise, enjoy fun times with your co-workers, and experience a good feeling knowing you are supporting charity.

Aircraft Seats for Sale
AMES Material Sales has available two bottom and three bottom "Coach Class" seats for sale to employees. Double seats are $20 per set and the triples are $30 per set. Interested employees should call (937) 366-2120 to arrange inspection of the seats, which will be sold on a first-come first-served basis while supplies last. Payment will be accepted in cash, check, or credit/debit card.

INFOline
April 2016 marks the 8th anniversary on the ABX Air INFOline. Since its first release in April 2008 we've experienced many significant changes in our operation. The key to our success has been and will continue to be to stay focused on our ability to control our costs while maintaining the highest level of on time performance and service reliability.

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

INFOline for April 7, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is Robert Boja with the ABX Air INFOline for April 7, 2016.

Safety
The Spring edition of the ABX Safety Connection will be published this week. Included in this edition is an article outlining our safety programs titled "Safety Programs and What They Do" and another summarizing our participation in these programs in 2015 called "Safety Summary - How’d We Do?" Also included are articles on our Safety Management System implementation and examples of various types of safety and irregularity reports. Please look at the "Check Your SMS Knowledge" quiz and congratulate our Third Quarter Safety Award Winners.

Compliance
The Safety Department has been working with our FAA Certificate Management Team members on SMS Implementation. One of the critical elements to ensuring successful implementation will be implementing the SMS Manual. The FAA can accept the manual only when it is completely in an SMS-compliant state. Once accepted, it will be revised like any other manual. Prior to submitting the manual for acceptance, we will begin testing the guidance, processes, interfaces, and forms contained for Safety Risk Management and Quality Assurance within our on-going operation on a case-by-case basis. This will enable us to gain feedback and ensure that all levels of management are prepared to comply with the guidance when the manual is officially accepted.

Our industry is facing a number of proposed rule changes as a result of events that have occurred in the cargo airline industry over the last few years, namely potential regulatory action in the area of lithium batteries and certification of professional load masters. We are working with our lobbyist in Washington DC and the Cargo Airline Association, our industry trade group, to reach reasonable solutions for the issues confronting us. We will keep you posted.

The CRAF inspection mentioned in an earlier INFOline went extremely well, with minor suggestions noted for possible implementation to better flow information. A mock emergency drill was performed, and a big thank you to all who participated. I’m very pleased with the results of this CRAF inspection.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of April thus far, subject to verification, is 99.45%. We ended March with on-time service of 98.71%. Similarly, for the first quarter of 2016 we ended at 98.42%, all subject to verification.

Our month-to-date on-time service performance for Amazon for April is 100%.

Keep up the good work; we can improve our DHL numbers, and let's hold onto the Amazon performance. Don’t give up and never take second place as acceptable. Control what you can control.

I’m happy to announce the recall of eight furloughed crewmembers to fulfill requirements created with the new Amazon flying. Congratulations and welcome back. We have begun interviewing for new hire pilots to fill anticipated requirements with the Amazon flying. Additionally we are expanding crew facilities and ramping up in other areas for the Amazon expansion. Keep in mind we need to make sure we go the extra mile for Amazon, striving for excellence as we have always done at ABX.

Please stay informed since during expansion or changes rumors abound. Check with your supervisors to validate real information from misinformation that may contain sensitive, false, or misleading information so we aren’t passing it along.

Our People
Congratulations to Chris Hunter, winner of last quarter's Biggest Loser weight loss challenge! During the challenge, participants lost a combined total of over 207 pounds, bringing our total weight loss since the beginning of the program to over 1,400 pounds! The program also has resulted in more than $800 being collected for charity. Way to go! A great job by all participants. Registration for the next Biggest Loser weight loss challenge is now open! Please send questions and registration information to Tracey Dykes (ext. 62134), Judy Branham (ext. 62388), or Tanya Woodford (ext. 62318).

Congratulations to the following employees celebrating service milestones this month, including Maintenance Controller Leon Kafka and First Officers Scot Kingan and Mark Patterson with 20 years of service to the company.

That’s it for this week. Stay tuned for the next INFOline.

INFOline for March 10, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is John Starkovich with the ABX Air INFOline for March 10, 2016.

Safety
Massachusetts Institute of Technology project engineer Kent Hollinger will be conducting SMS training for 20 ABX Air participants during the week of March 14-18. Kent is the author of Safety Management Systems for Aviation Practitioners: Real-World Lessons. Kent conducted SMS classes here in 2014, and this will be the final round of formal on-site courseware. Based on Kent’s updated program, our internal SMS training for front-line supervisors and all other employees will be finalized and submitted to the FAA for acceptance.

Compliance
On March 14 and 15, members of the Department of Defense from Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base will be conducting a Civil Reserve Air Fleet Readiness Visit and Readiness Exercise here at ABX Air. CRAF carriers play a unique and significant role in our nation's air mobility resources augmenting Department of Defense airlift requirements during times where the need for airlift exceeds the capability of military airlift resources. ABX Air is pleased to participate as part of the DOD Charter and CRAF team.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of March, subject to verification, is 97.72%. Tentatively, we ended February with an on-time performance of 98.09%. Similarly, for the first quarter of 2016, we are at 98.20% on time performance to date, all subject to verification.

Congratulations to the following ABX employees that are celebrating milestone anniversaries during the month of March: Manager of Customer Service & CVG Operations Scott Cloud, Capt. Bruce Douglas, Capt. David Lawhorne, Capt. Pat McCauley, Capt. Brad Maxwell, Capt. Scot Prescott, and Capt. Ken Taylor have 25 years of service; while B767 First Officers Corey Butler, Richard Reid, and Kirk Simpson have 20 years of service. Thank you for your service to ABX Air over the years.

On March 9, 2016 our parent company Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATSG) announced agreements with Amazon Fulfillment Services, Inc., an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN), to operate an air cargo network to serve Amazon customers in the United States.

"Since last summer, we have been working closely with Amazon to demonstrate that a dedicated, fully customized air cargo network can be a strong supplement to existing transportation and distribution resources," said ATSG President and CEO Joe Hete. "We are excited to serve Amazon customers by providing additional air cargo capacity and logistics support to ensure great shipping speeds for customers."

The commercial agreements will include the leasing of 20 Boeing 767 freighter aircraft to Amazon Fulfillment Services, Inc. by ATSG’s Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM), the operation of the aircraft by ATSG’s airlines, ABX Air and Air Transport International, and gateway and logistics services provided by ATSG’s LGSTX Services. The duration of the 20 leases will be five to seven years; the agreement covering operation of the aircraft will be for five years.

In conjunction with the commercial agreements, ATSG also has agreed to grant Amazon warrants to acquire over a five-year period up to 19.9 percent of ATSG’s common shares at $9.73 per share, based on the closing price of ATSG common shares on February 9, 2016.

Other News
In the late February edition of Cargo Facts Update, it was reported that DHL Express took re-delivery of two 757-200PCF aircraft following conversion from passenger to freighter configuration by Precision Aircraft Solutions. Cargo Facts believes that one of the freighters will be operated for DHL in India by Blue Dart Aviation and the other will be operated by EAT Leipzig, one of DHL’s airline subsidiaries.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced that it had agreed to temporarily ban the bulk shipment of lithium-ion batteries on passenger aircraft. The ban will go into effect April 1, 2016 and, according to ICAO Council, under the ban, lithium-ion batteries could still be shipped if packed with or contained in equipment.

In a press release, Deutsche Post DHL Group announced it had increased revenue in 2015 and met its forecast for operating profit. Following a very strong fourth quarter, consolidated EBIT for full-year 2015 amounted to EUR 2.41 billion. The Group had targeted a figure of at least EUR 2.4 billion. The full year decline in EBIT compared with the prior year (2014: EUR 2.97 billion) was attributable to one-off expenses and investments.

CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group Frank Appel stated: "In 2015 we have made significant progress against our strategic initiatives. Over the entire year, we have worked hard to pave the way for sustainable success in the future. The positive earnings momentum we have seen in the fourth quarter once again confirms the fundamental strength of our business. We are firmly on track with our strategy".

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

INFOline for February 25, 2016
Hello, this is Jeff Walling, Director of Human Resources, with the ABX Air INFOLine for Thursday, February 25, 2016.

Safety
The winners of the fourth quarter Safety Award are Flight Technical Training Instructor Joe Proffitt, Maintenance Controller Charles Wallace, and Aircraft Maintenance Technical Specialist Dareck Kunce. Joe was recognized for his efforts in reviewing the weight and balance program, which resulted in improved compliance and safety on all flights. Charles and Dareck were recognized for their efforts with the cargo conversion of aircraft 371CM that was completed by our third party vendor. After the conversion, the aircraft had no findings in conformity and ETOPS conformity, was compliant with the Company’s maintenance program, and met the aging aircraft requirements. Each received a commemorative crystal paperweight and a $50 gift card as a small token of management’s appreciation. Once again, congratulations to Joe, Charles, and Dareck.

Each quarter the ABX Safety Award recognizes and rewards exceptional contributions to safety. The award is part of our Safety Management System (SMS) and is designed to help promote and improve our safety culture. If you know of someone who is an outstanding safety performer, you may nominate him or her for a Safety Award by completing an Employee Safety Recognition Nomination Form which is available on the ABX SafetyNet.

Also, the Safety Department has developed a new employee Information and Welcome publication that includes an introduction to Safety signed by the Company President, information about our Safety and Security Policy, an SMS overview along with 'why and how-to' information regarding the reporting of hazards or safety concerns. This new publication will be distributed to newly hired employees and will be posted on the ABX SafetyNet.

Compliance
In compliance news, on February 16, ABX Air was notified that the FAA Certificate Management Team had completed its review of the ABX Air Safety Management System (SMS ) Implementation Plan and found it compliant with the requirements of 14 CFR part 5.1 (b) and Notice 8900.281. This constitutes official notification that we can begin implementation of our SMS in consonance with our submitted plan and timeline. In addition, an updated Safety and Security Policy signed by Company President John Starkovich was accepted as being SMS compliant. The next step will be to attain acceptance of our SMS Manual and employee group specific and vendor SMS training programs. Any questions regarding SMS implementation can be made by contacting the Safety Department.

Service Update
This month, through February 24, performance is 97.73%, subject to verification. The first quarter performance through February 24 is 98.14%, again subject to verification.

Severe Weather Awareness
Spring is almost upon us and we have already experienced spring-like temperatures here in Wilmington. Now would be a good time to review the severe weather procedures. In particular, do you know what to do in the event of tornadoes or lightning? You can find ABX’s severe weather procedures on the ABX SafetyNet under the Safety Training Bulletins for the month of March.

Business News
In business news, ATSG’s President & CEO Joe Hete and CFO Quint Turner presented at the BB&T Transportation Services Conference on February 10. This conference was for stock analysts who follow the transportation industry. Joe and Quint reviewed ATSG’s business model with the analysts and provided commentary on the Company’s outlook. An audio recording of the presentation is available for 30 days.

Refrigerator Magnets
Supervisors will be distributing to employees refrigerator magnets that have the ABX Air INFOLine phone number and the ABX weather line. Use these two phone numbers for the latest Company news and operational updates during inclement weather.

Employee News
In employee news, congratulations to Capt. Chris Arnold who is celebrating 25 years with the Company this month. Also, congratulations to Supervisor of Flight Operations Administration Hillary Gunn who is celebrating 10 years with ABX.

America Saves Week
This week is America Saves Week. This is a national event reminding working Americans of the importance of saving for retirement. You have probably recently received an email or postcard from Fidelity about how saving 1% more can make a big impact on your retirement income. Have you considered increasing your 401(k) deduction by 1%? You can make that change right now at www.401k.com.

Online 401(k) Beneficiaries
And while we are talking about your 401(k) plan, if you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to complete the online beneficiaries form on the Fidelity 401k.com web site. For you and your family’s peace of mind, it’s really important that you keep your beneficiary information up-to-date. If you need assistance with your 401(k) plan, you can contact Fidelity at (800) 835-5065.

Well, that’s all for this week. John Starkovich will be back in two weeks with the next update. Thanks for listening.

INFOline for February 11, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is John Starkovich with the ABX Air INFOline for February 11, 2016.

Safety
The 2015 Annual Safety Summary has been completed and will be briefed and distributed by ICOM after the next Management Meeting. The 4th quarter safety award winners have been selected by the safety and executive committees and will be presented next week. The winners will be announced in the ABX Safety Connection newsletter scheduled for publication in March. In 2016, the ABX Air SafetlyLine becomes a quarterly publication for our crewmembers, and the 1st Quarter edition will be published this month.

Compliance
Kent Hollinger from MITRE (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) will be conducting Safety Management System Training March 14-18. Functional department executives are finalizing the list of attendees. A survey is being sent by the safety department in an effort to evaluate the ease of Aviation Safety Action and General Safety Report for various employee groups. SurveyMonkey will be used to conduct the survey so please take the time to provide constructive feedback in order to improve our reporting system as we implement our SMS.

In addition to our efforts to with SMS this year, we also will have a number of audits. The Department of Defense will be conducting a security audit on March 14-15 and their biennial DOD Survey on June 6-10. The checklists for these audits are available and will be distributed at the February Compliance Manager’s meeting.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of February to date, subject to verification, is 97.38%. Tentatively, we ended January with an on-time performance of 98.48%. Similarly, for the first quarter of 2016, we are at 98.16% on-time performance to date, all subject to verification.

The annual 5% contribution for eligible employees to the CAP/401(k) was completed on February 5. You can find your amount under "sources" on 401k.com. If you have any questions, please contact Vickie Hurt in Human Resources.

Congratulations to Jack Kondratick, Eastern Region Maintenance Field Supervisor, for receiving the ABX Air Silver Wings of Excellence for customer service. Back in November, one of the aircraft that we were flying in TNT service into Milan, Italy developed a problem with a slat which required a slat change. When the call went out that the commercial flight was leaving in 1.5 hours out of JFK, Jack stepped up and made the flight without any luggage. He got to Milan and managed to get the job done with help from others, despite a number of unanticipated obstacles. This all took place during the Thanksgiving holiday demonstrating once again the ABX “can do” attitude. Jack in my view is a real pro and is a repeat Silver Wings recipient over his 26 years here at ABX Air. Thank you, Jack.

Speaking about maintenance, as we all know, from time to time in the airline business aircraft break. We had a couple of events in the last week or so that I want to address. We had an aircraft go AOG in ONT due to a FOD event that then required an engine change. Thanks to the efforts of a whole bunch of folks including Contingency, Maintenance Control, and the ONT and LAX maintenance folks, the engine was changed in quick order allowing us to get back on schedule at a time when aircraft availability was extremely limited. It was a great team effort and very much appreciated. Earlier this week, we had an issue arise with the rudder on an aircraft in DFW. John Castro and his folks were on the aircraft from the beginning and stayed with it until all repairs were completed and the aircraft was listed as green again. The repair was a challenge and there were some hiccups, but DFW maintenance worked very hard to get the aircraft fixed quickly. Our thanks and appreciation to the DFW maintenance team and everyone that helped get the repair accomplished.

In a press release on February 9, our parent company Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATSG) said that due primarily to better-than-expected results from its airline operations in the fourth quarter, its financial results for 2015 are likely to exceed management’s earlier guidance. ATSG now projects that its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) from continuing operations, adjusted for unrealized effects of interest rate derivative gains and losses, will likely be in a range of $196-200 million for 2015. That compares with Adjusted EBITDA guidance first provided last November of $190-195 million for 2015. Adjusted EBITDA from Continuing Operations for 2014 was $179.5 million. The change in ATSG’s 2015 outlook reflects increased demand for ATSG’s services, primarily for the 767 freighters it operates on a contracted ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance & Insurance) basis. The fourth quarter also benefited from more 767 freighters that were dry-leased to external customers at year-end: three more compared with the start of the quarter, and six more than at the end of 2014.

Other News
In an article appearing in the February 12 edition of Cargo Facts Update, it was reported that Ireland-based ASL Aviation Group signed an agreement to acquire TNT’s airline operations, including both TNT Airways, and Spain-based Pan Air Lineas Aéreas. The agreement is conditional on the completion of FedEx’s acquisition of TNT, but regulatory authorities in Europe, the US, and Brazil have already announced their approval, so ASL’s takeover of Pan Air and TNT Airways (FedEx cannot own a European airline) is almost certain. ASL will take over the TNT Airways and Pan Air flights "from the moment the sale is completed," and ASL expects TNT Airways will "maintain contracts with partner airlines, contractors, and suppliers." Under the agreement, employees of TNT Airways and Pan Air should not see much change. ASL and TNT, in their joint release, said "employees’ current terms and conditions of employment will be respected." Regarding TNT Airways’ hub in Liège, the release is somewhat vague but does say "it is intended that the TNT Airways headquarters in Liège will be maintained."

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

INFOline for January 28, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is Eric Plas with the ABX Air INFOline for January 28, 2016.

Safety
The 2015 Safety Summary has been completed and will be presented soon. Portions of the summary also will be published to appropriate stakeholders in the 1st Quarter's SafetyLine and Safety Connection newsletters. There is still time to nominate employees for the Quarterly Safety Award. The nomination form is located on the Safety Web, but email narratives are also acceptable.

Compliance
Revision 2 of the Safety Management System Implementation Plan has been submitted to our Certificate Management Team for endorsement to AFS-900. Once the implementation plan is approved, we will submit the SMS Manual for acceptance and begin SMS training for all Employees. Also, the DOD (Department of Defense) audit has been scheduled for 6-10 June, so please keep those dates in mind when planning Paid Time Off if you are an involved employee. The DOD checklists have been sent to the VP's, Manager of Ground Operations and other safety, maintenance, and flight compliance managers.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of January so far, subject to verification, is 98.40%. Tentatively, we ended December with an on-time performance of 97.84%. Similarly, for the fourth quarter of 2015, we ended at 97.62% on time performance, subject to verification.

The Payroll Department is preparing our W-2 tax forms and these forms will be distributed no later than Monday, February 1 as January 31 falls on a Sunday. Active employees will have their W-2s distributed at work, while former employees will have their W-2s sent via U.S. Mail to the address of record.

Payroll will reprint replacement W-2s beginning February 8, so please wait until then before requesting a replacement. Former employees who need to update their address should do so with Human Resources before requesting replacement.

Upcoming Events
February 22 through February 27 is America Saves Week. This is a once-a-year national campaign encouraging working Americans to focus on saving for their retirement. This year's theme is the power of 1%. Beginning February 2, Fidelity Investments will email or direct mail information about how saving 1% more can make a big impact on your retirement income. Be sure to look for these messages and consider increasing your 401(k) deduction by 1%. You can change your 401(k) deduction at www.401k.com.

In related information Fidelity advises that when 401(k) markets get choppy, it pays to have a plan for your investments, and to stick to it. Fidelity Investment has Six Strategies for Volatile Markets in the latest Fidelity Viewpoints which is available online on the ABX Benefits website at www.myabx.com/benefits. It's worth a read.

Business News
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAWW) said that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Southern Air Holdings, Inc., a premier provider of intercontinental and domestic air cargo services, in an immediately accretive, all-cash, debt-free transaction valued at approximately $110 million. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and is expected to close in the next few months.

Southern Air is the parent company of Worldwide Air Logistics Group and its two operating subsidiaries, Southern Air, Inc. and Florida West International Airways, Inc.

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

INFOline for January 14, 2016
Good afternoon, everyone. This is John Starkovich with the ABX Air INFOline for January 14, 2016.

Safety
The Safety Department is now accepting nominations for the first quarter safety awards. The quarterly safety award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to advance safety at ABX Air. Anyone can nominate someone using the form that is on the Safety website. Safety award winners receive a small token of appreciation, a fifty dollar gift card, and recognition in our Safety Newsletters!

We are currently looking at software options, such as SMS PRO, as we implement and manage SMS programs. This software will be evaluated by all departments in the coming weeks. Thanks to Bob Greene and Elizabeth Habermehl for taking a field trip to the vendor to do an on-site evaluation of the SMS PRO software.

Compliance
In December 2015, members from the Flight Operations Officer's (FOO) Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) met with FAA representative Randy McDonald from AFS-280. Mr. McDonald conducted the required 18-month audit of the FOO ASAP program. The audit included a review of the program from its inception, and a live Event Review Committee (ERC) meeting was evaluated. The audit received good reviews and will join our other ASAP programs and be classified as a continuous ongoing program.

Also relative to compliance, our SMS implementation plan was submitted to our regulator in September 2015 for approval. The East Michigan Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) is in the final stages of that approval and should be completed no later than March 2016. All employees should expect some form of SMS training in the first half of 2016. Kent Hollinger from the MITRE Corporation will be in Wilmington March 14-18 to conduct a week-long SMS training program. Employees directly involved in the SMS process should expect to attend this training. If your job function is not directly involved in the SMS process, expect to see online training in the coming months. Please kindly contact the Safety Department with any questions or concerns.

Company News
Our on-time service performance for DHL for the month of January so far, subject to verification, is 98.97%. Tentatively, we ended December with an on-time performance of 97.88%. Similarly, for the fourth quarter of 2015, we ended at 97.65% on time performance, subject to verification. Just a brief word about peak and the on-time performance. As mentioned in earlier INFOlines, our on-time performance during peak did not come in at the numbers that we like to see especially with the mild weather. Steps are being implemented to revisit areas of concern but make no mistake, despite the challenges that we had, this year did not meet our internal standards and what we have come to expect from one another. We keep our business by meeting and exceeding our customer’s expectations, so let’s make a pledge right now to make 2016 a banner year.

For the month of January, we have a number of ABX folks that are celebrating milestone anniversaries. First, congratulations to Capt. Steve McBee who celebrates 40 years of service with ABX as of January 17. Additionally, First Officer Ben Gruber celebrated his 30th anniversary, and Capt. Doug Hitchcock reached 25 years of service. At 20 years of service, our best to 767 First Officers Keith Tucker and Mark Latchford. We also have three Professional Loadmasters who are at 15 years of service, and they are Brian Montandon, Chris Duggan and Michael Brownstein. Congratulations to all of these ABX employees and thank you for your contributions in making ABX successful over the years. Your service to ABX Air is sincerely appreciated.

Please kindly accept thanks and my appreciation to all who participated and contributed to our Fall Charity Drive. The ATSG Family Goal was exceeded this year with a total of $91,379 being given. Congratulations to all of you here at ABX and to all of our sister companies and ATSG for a job well done. Thank you also to all who worked so hard on the Charity Drive Committee to make this happen. Your efforts are much appreciated, and you are a class act.

A lot is happening over at our sister company AMES. They are busy taking steps for a new Paint Booth in the CRO Building, and Delta has awarded the CRO group the project of cleaning and repair of the interiors of two aircraft, including the seats, Passenger Service Units, Galleys and Forward Lav Units. Plus, in addition to its other heavy maintenance work, AMES has completed the C-check and delivered the first Boeing 717 aircraft back to Delta, with the second and third underway and the fourth coming on-line shortly. There are many challenges to a major program start-up like this one, and AMES employees have a lot of time and effort in on this project, and they have our best wishes for a safe and successful program.

This weekend will mark the conclusion of the flying that ABX Air has been doing in Europe on behalf of TNT airline these past years. It’s been an enjoyable and mutually beneficial relationship with TNT. The flying will now be done by the European carrier West Atlantic, in which our parent company ATSG holds a financial interest, and its subsidiary West Atlantic Sweden is leasing the aircraft from our sister company CAM.

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