Exhibit 99

                                        Contact: Rick DeLisi
February 18, 2004         Director, Corporate Communications
Page 1 of 2                                   (703) 650-6019

       Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings, Inc. Announces
 Proposed Offering of $125 Million Convertible Senior Notes

Dulles,  VA,  (February 18, 2004) - Atlantic Coast  Airlines
Holdings,  Inc. (Nasdaq/NM: ACAI), parent of Atlantic  Coast
Airlines   (ACA),  today  announced  that  it   intends   to
offer-subject to market and other conditions-$125 million of
Convertible Senior Notes due 2034 in a private placement  to
qualified  institutional buyers pursuant to exemptions  from
the  registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933
(the  "Securities Act"). The notes will bear  interest,  and
will  be  convertible  into shares of the  company's  common
stock  at  a  rate and price to be determined.  The  company
expects  to  grant the initial purchaser  of  the  notes  an
option to purchase up to an additional $25 million aggregate
principal amount of the notes.

The company intends to use the net proceeds of this offering
for   working   capital  and  general  corporate   purposes,
including,  without  limitation,  for  purchasing  aircraft,
financing  the  acquisition  of  aircraft,  paying  security
deposits and pre-payment obligations on aircraft.

This  press release does not constitute an offer to sell  or
the solicitation of an offer to buy securities and shall not
constitute   an   offer,  solicitation  or   sale   in   any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation  or  sale  is
unlawful.  The  notes  and the common  stock  issuable  upon
conversion of the notes have not been registered  under  the
Securities  Act of 1933 or applicable state securities  laws
and, unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the
United  States  except  pursuant to an  exemption  from  the
registration   requirements  of  the  Securities   Act   and
applicable state securities laws.

ACA  currently  operates  as  Delta  Connection  and  United
Express in the Eastern and Midwestern United States as  well
as  Canada.   On  July  28,  2003, ACA  announced  plans  to
establish a new, independent low-fare airline to be based at
Washington   Dulles  International  Airport-to   be   called
Independence   Air.   The  company  has  a  fleet   of   144
aircraft-including a total of 120 regional  jets-and  offers
800  daily departures, serving 80 destinations.  ACA employs
approximately 4,100 aviation professionals.



Statements  in this press release and by Company  executives
regarding its implementation of new business strategies,  as
well  as regarding operations, earnings, revenues and costs,
represent forward-looking information. A number of risks and
uncertainties  exist  which could cause  actual  results  to
differ materially from these projected results. These  risks
and  uncertainties  are  more fully  disclosed  under  "Risk
Factors"  and  "Management's  Discussion  and  Analysis   of
Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations"  in  the
Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for  the  year  ended
December  31, 2003. These statements are made as of February
18,   2004  and  Atlantic  Coast  Airlines  Holdings,   Inc.
undertakes  no obligation to update any such forward-looking
information,  including as a result of any new  information,
future events, changed expectations or otherwise.