AirTran Airways Boeing 717-231 N925AT (msn 55079) (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter) BWI (Brian McDonough), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

AirTran Airways’ (Orlando) pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), have ratified a tentative agreement with AirTran management after almost six years of negotiations.

86.93 percent of the AirTran pilots who cast ballots supported the agreement. 93.28 percent of the AirTran pilot group participated in the ratification vote, which took place just weeks after Southwest Airlines’ announcement that it intends to acquire AirTran.

The contract, which is the AirTran pilot group’s first since joining ALPA in 2009, enhances pilots’ pay rates, quality of life, and career protections. Most elements of the new contract will take effect on December 1.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough. Please click on the photo for additional information.