Tag Archives: AirTran Airways

Southwest’s plans for AirTran’s hub at Atlanta

AirTran Airways Boeing 717-231 N935AT (msn 55069) (Orlando Makes Me Smile) ATL (Norbert G. Raith), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) is making plans for its subsidiary AirTran Airways’ hub at Atlanta according to this article by Bloomberg. Some markets will be dropped and the Boeing 717-200s will probably be gradually replaced. The number of daily departures is expected to be trimmed around 13 percent to around 175. WN will add new service to larger markets and rely less on connecting. WN also expects a $1 billion increase in annual revenue from ATL.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

In other news, Southwest for the ninth year, kicked off the University of Texas/University of Oklahoma NCAA football game weekend with a pep rally to support both team and the annual Southwest Pigskin Plane Pull at Dallas Love Field (both teams play each other today in Dallas). According to WN, “More than 500 Southwest Employees came out to Southwest’s Maintenance Hangar to watch Fellow Employees compete on behalf of UT or OU to see who could pull an 83,000-pound Boeing 737 across 50 yards the fastest.”

Boeing 737-3H4 N391SW (msn 27378) wore the special nose emblem this year.

Read the full report from Nuts About Southwest: CLICK HERE

Photo of “Red River Rivalry” logo on N391SW: CLICK HERE

AirTran Slide Show: CLICK HERE

SkyWest ends its relationship with AirTran

SkyWest Airlines CRJ200 (CL-600-2B19) N947SW (msn 7786) LAS (Jay Selman), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

SkyWest Airlines (St. George) as planned, yesterday (September 6) stop flying for AirTran Airways from the Milwaukee station. AirTran and parent Southwest Airlines have taken over some of the regional routes but many are unprofitable for larger aircraft. Southwest does not have a pilot scope clause for the company to contract with other carriers to operate feeder flights.

SkyWest’s former MKE routes:

Southwest’s CEO Gary Kelly does not see an advantage of keeping AirTran’s 88 Boeing 717s

AirTran Airways Boeing 717-2BD N949AT (msn 55003) (Orlando Magic) BWI (Tony Storck), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Southwest Airlines’ (Dallas) CEO Gary Kelly, according to this article by Flightglobal, told the attendees at the International Aviation Forecast Summit (hosted by the Boyd Group) that the Boeing 717 does not “bring any unique benefit that Southwest cannot get with the 737”.

Kelly stated to the audience, “the 717 is roughly the same size and offers close to same economics as the 737-500s the carrier operates”.

AirTran currently operates 88 Boeing 717-200s and was acquired by Southwest.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck. These special color schemes are likely to be one of the first casualties if the 717 fleet is downsized and later phased out. Click on the photo for additional information.

AirTran Airways to launch BWI-Aruba service

AirTran Airways Boeing 737-7BD WL N354AT (msn 36725) (Georgia Aquarium-Dolphin 1) BWI (Tony Storck), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

AirTran Airways (Orlando) has announced it will add a new nonstop destination from Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) with Saturday and Sunday service to Aruba (AUA). AirTran’s new BWI-AUA service will begin on December 17, 2011.

BWI customers currently can fly nonstop between BWI and Bermuda, Montego Bay, Cancun, Nassau/Paradise Island, and San Juan.

AirTran Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Southwest Airlines reports a $161 million profit in the second quarter, makes a friendly overture to Airbus

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 WL N918WN (msn 29843) (Illinois One) BWI (Tony Storck), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) reported second quarter 2011 net income of $161 million, or $.21 per diluted share, compared to net income of $112 million, or $.15 per diluted share, for second quarter 2010. Operating income was $207 million for second quarter 2011, compared to $363 million for second quarter 2010. The 2011 results include the results of AirTran since the May 2, 2011 acquisition date. Prior periods do not include AirTran’s results.

The Company has incurred $75 million in costs associated with the acquisition and integration of AirTran during 2011, of which $58 million were in second quarter 2011. The Company expects total acquisition and integration costs will be approximately $500 million. Including the anticipated benefit of net synergies, but excluding the impact of acquisition and integration costs, the Company expects the acquisition to be accretive to its fully-diluted earnings per share in 2011, as it was in second quarter 2011. The Company currently estimates that net annual pre-tax synergies will exceed $400 million by 2013.

Both periods’ results included special items related to non-cash, mark-to-market, and other items associated with a portion of the Company’s fuel hedge portfolio. In addition, second quarter 2011 results included approximately $40 million (net of taxes) in charges primarily related to financial advisory fees and severance payments in association with the Company’s acquisition and integration of AirTran. Excluding special items in both periods, second quarter 2011 net income was $121 million, or $.15 per diluted share, compared to $216 million, or $.29 per diluted share, for second quarter 2010.

AirTran is expected to operate under the AirTran brand for another couple of years, stations with a dual airline presence are being transitioned to locate ticket counters and gates in closer proximity. Southwest will begin transitioning aircraft, airports, and employees next year. Southwest expects to receive a single operating certificate (AOC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the first quarter 2012.

In other news, Southwest Airlines and Airbus have begun a cordial top-level exchange, prompting Airbus to hope Boeing’s biggest customer may eventually take an interest in its planes according to this report by Reuters.

Read the Reuters report: CLICK HERE

Southwest Slide Show: CLICK HERE

AirTran Airways to drop Newport News/Williamsburg, along with Asheville, Atlantic City and Moline

AirTran Airways Boeing 717-2BD N950AT (msn 55012) (Little Debbie Cupcakes) CLT (Jay Selman), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

AirTran Airways (Orlando) will drop all service to Newport News/Williamsburg in March. Parent Southwest Airlines plans to eliminate all non-performing AirTran markets.

AirTran is also dropping all service to Asheville, Atlantic City and Moline (Quad Cities).

Read the full story in Inside Business: CLICK HERE

AirTran Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Orlando Route Map:

Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways Pilots’ Unions reach a tentative agreement

AirTran Airways Boeing 737-7BD WL N354AT (msn 36725) (Georgia Aquarium-Dolphin 1) BWI (Tony Storck), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) has announced an agreement in principle between the Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association (SWAPA), the union representing Southwest Airlines Pilots and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing the pilots of AirTran Airways (Orlando). This agreement in principle, subject to the respective unions’ board approval and membership ratification, would integrate the two groups’ seniority lists. Southwest Airlines finalized closing of the acquisition of AirTran Holdings, Inc. on May 2, 2011.

Southwest Airlines will continue to work toward combining the operations of both carriers and to the success this opportunity offers Customers, Employees and Shareholders. Reaching a negotiated agreement with the two Pilot groups avoids the arbitration process and gives both groups ownership of the combined list.

In contrast, US Airways is still operating as a “two-group airline” (East and West) with two separate pilot groups and contracts.

Southwest and AirTran to put more pressure on Frontier at Milwaukee

AirTran Airways Boeing 737-76N WL N176AT (msn 32654) BWI (Brian McDonough), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) and AirTran Airways (Orlando) have announced additional service to Milwaukee. Beginning on September 6, 2011, AirTran will add two daily roundtrips between Milwaukee and Des Moines, IA, as well as two daily roundtrips between Milwaukee and Akron-Canton, OH. Also on September 6, 2011, Southwest Airlines will initiate two daily roundtrips between Milwaukee and St. Louis, MO, and a daily roundtrip to Denver, adding to the once daily trip AirTran already makes to the Mile-High city.

Consequently AirTran’s marketing partnership with SkyWest Airlines will end on September 6, 2011.

AirTran Airways is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Company.

AirTran Slide Show: CLICK HERE

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

Bottom Copyright Photo: Jay Selman. Please click on the photo for information on the SkyWest relationship with AirTran at Milwaukee.

Southwest would like AirTran to keep flying to Dallas/Fort Worth until November 21

AirTran Airways Boeing 737-7BD N167AT (msn 33918) MIA (Bruce Drum), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) has stated it would like its newly-acquired AirTran Airways (Orlando) to keep flying to Dallas/Fort Worth until November 21. However this decision ultimately rests with DFW and other carriers. To stay at DFW, under the Wright Agreement, WN would have to give up an number of gates at DAL. WN is not likely to stay at DFW once the final merger of the two AOCs is accomplished.

Read the full story from USA Today: CLICK HERE

AirTran Slide Show: CLICK HERE

AirTran Airways launches Atlanta-Bermuda service

AirTran Airways Boeing 737-7BD WL N354AT (msn 36725) (Georgia Aquarium-Dolphin 1) BWI (Tony Storck), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

AirTran Airways (Orlando), a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines, yesterday (May 26) began daily nonstop service between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and L.F. Wade International Airport in St. George’s, Bermuda.

Passengers took part in a colorful celebration at the airport featuring traditional Gombey dancers and a steel drum band. A special performance by the Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders also wowed the crowd as part of the “Touchdown Bermuda” themed event. In addition to welcoming passengers, the cheerleaders were heading to Bermuda for their annual swimsuit calendar photo shoot.

Bermuda is the latest destination in AirTran’s international route network, which includes: Aruba, Cancun, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Nassau, Bahamas and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Atlanta becomes the second city in AirTran’s network to offer nonstop service to the island getaway. The low cost carrier began offering flights to Bermuda from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) last month.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck. Possibly the last AirTran logojet, “Dolphin 1” arrives at Baltimore/Washington. Please click on the photo for the full story of this special aircraft.

AirTran routes from the ATL hub: