ATBD Expands Management Team With Five Industry Veterans

New hires to help company expand contract services for flight operations, finance, systems operations control.

Santa Monica, Calif. November, 7 2007 -- Air Transport Business Development, Inc. (ATBD), a leading provider of contract services to the airline industry, announced today that it has expanded its specialist team with the addition of five seasoned industry veterans.

New to the company are:

* Carolyn Fletcher, In-Flight Operations and Training

* Bill Christensen, Flight Operations and Systems Operation Control

* Mike Jefferson, Airline and FAA Regulatory Compliance

* Ute Wiedenbauer, Aircraft, Engine, Airline, and Company Finance

* John Stonier, Financial Analysis, Aircraft and Engine Performance, and Economics

"We are delighted to welcome five accomplished individuals to the ATBD team," said David J. Hopkins, chief executive officer of ATBD. "With their complementary skill set and industry experience, all five will enable us to offer a wider range of services and provide enhanced expertise to our airline industry clients. ATBD is working towards offering our clients 'an airline in a box' -- all the skills needed to start, certify and run and airline operation aviation industry."

Carolyn Fletcher has more than nine years of industry expertise in in-flight operations, airport customer service, and ground operations. She most recently was the director of in-flight operations for Skybus Airlines, where she was responsible for recruiting, final certification, and training of employees.

Fletcher began her career at Pro Air, and was the manager of customer service at US Airways' Philadelphia hub. She also was the Dulles hub service director for Independence Air, where she recruited a direct staff of 18 managers and more than 250 employees in a hub operation with more than 300 daily departures.

Bill Christensen has more than 30 years of airline experience. Starting with American Airlines as a reservations agent, he rose steadily through the organization to become managing director of the maintenance operations center, where he was responsible for overhauling and updating the allocation of manpower and facilities to ensure American's fleet met industry standards.

Since retiring from American Airlines, Christensen has consulted with numerous airlines and industry groups, including: US Africa, Air Jamaica, AMR Eagle, Aerolineas Argentinas, and EgyptAir.

For more than 25 years, Mike Jefferson has held a variety of positions in the airline industry, including the FAA and major airlines. Most recently, he was the VP of maintenance and engineering at MaxJet and formerly with Midway Airlines, where he supervised all M & E functions for a fleet of F100, A320, and RJ50 aircraft.

Jefferson started his career in the US Marine Corps, where he supervised aircraft quality control and maintenance. He also was a front-line supervisor at Eastern Airlines, and the assistant principal maintenance inspector at the FAA, with oversight of the day-to-day operations of numerous FAR Part 121, FAR Part 135, and FAR Part 91 operators.

Ute Wiedenbauer has more than 15 years' experience in structured and corporate finance and aircraft leasing. She started her career at KfW Bank in Frankfurt, Germany and later joined the sales finance department at Airbus SAS in Toulouse, France. She also held senior finance positions of increasing responsibility at Saab Aircraft Leasing, Rolls-Royce North America and IAE International Aero Engines AG in the United States.

John Stonier -- a published author (The Handbook of Airline Finance, Airline Marketing and Airline Strategy), a rated airline transport pilot, and a guest speaker at Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management and at many industry conferences -- brings a wealth of expertise to ATBD.

Stonier started his career as an aeronautical engineer with the British Aerospace Military Aircraft Division, worked for two aerospace consulting firms, and was a member of the marketing team at Airbus Industries. He also held the position of VP of product marketing at GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS), the world's largest aircraft lessor, where he was responsible for technical marketing of aircraft to potential lessees.

About ATBD

ATBD comprises professionals from the airlines, aircraft and engine manufacturers, and lessors, with more than six hundred years of combined experience. This experience is derived from designing, evaluating, launching, and operating most major types of jet aircraft in a variety of airlines. The company supports airlines, lessors, and equipment manufacturers requiring seasoned airline experience.For further information contact David J. Hopkins, CEO, at (310) 990-2045 or dhopkins(at)airtransportbd.com.

For more details on Air Transport Business Development, visit

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