Exhibit 99.1

                                  Certification
            Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, J. George Mikelsons, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of ATA Holdings Corp.;

2.   Based on my  knowledge,  this  annual  report  does not  contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to
     make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such
     statements  were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
     this annual report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
     information included in this annual report,  fairly present in all material
     respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and cash flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I are  responsible  for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and have:

     a)   designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to ensure  that
          material  information  relating  to  the  registrant,   including  its
          consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within those
          entities,  particularly  during the period in which this annual report
          is being prepared;

     b)   evaluated the  effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure  controls
          and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of
          this annual report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

     c)   presented   in  this   annual   report  our   conclusions   about  the
          effectiveness  of the disclosure  controls and procedures based on our
          evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

5.   The registrant's  other certifying  officer and I have disclosed,  based on
     our most recent  evaluation,  to the  registrant's  auditors  and the audit
     committee of  registrant's  board of directors (or persons  performing  the
     equivalent functions):

     a)   all  significant  deficiencies  in the design or operation of internal
          controls  which could  adversely  affect the  registrant's  ability to
          record,  process,   summarize  and  report  financial  data  and  have
          identified for the  registrant's  auditors any material  weaknesses in
          internal  controls;  and any  fraud,  whether  or not  material,  that
          involves  management or other employees who have a significant role in
          the registrant's internal controls; and

6.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer and I have  indicated in this
     annual report whether there were significant  changes in internal  controls
     or in other  factors  that could  significantly  affect  internal  controls
     subsequent  to the  date  of our  most  recent  evaluation,  including  any
     corrective  actions with regard to  significant  deficiencies  and material
     weaknesses.


Date: March 31, 2003                       /s/  J. George Mikelsons

                                           J. George Mikelsons
                                           Chairman and Chief Executive Officer