Polar pilots walk, atlas flies: pilot strike pushes parent of Polar Air Cargo to place two aircraft for sale or lease.

Arias Air Worldwide Holdings, parent of Polar Mr Cargo and Atlas Mr, is re-deploying Polar's fleet after the freight airline's pilots went on strike. Atlas returned "three aircraft on dry lease to Polar back to Atlas Air" and placed two Polar aircraft up for sale or lease, said Jeffrey H. Erickson, president and CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings. Atlas can now use the aircraft in its wet-lease operations.

"While we regret the Polar crewmembers' decision to strike, we have prepared for this contingency," Erickson said.

Polar crewmembers walked off their jobs Sept. 16 after last ditch talks failed to resolve differences between the union and management …