AirTran Airways all set to become history from December

AirTran Airways is on the final course of its journey now and is all set to become history by the end of this year.  The airline is bracing to conduct its final flight on December 28, 2014. The Atlanta-to-Tampa route has been designated by the airline’s authorities as AirTran Flight 1. The airline will be retracing the route which its predecessor airline operated during its first flight way back in October 1993.

AirTran Airways was earlier known as ValuJet Airlines. Having come into being as a low-cost carrier, this fast-growing airline mostly conducted its flights services in the eastern part of United States. ValuJet Airlines finally changed its name to AirTran Airways after a merger following a fatal crash in the Everglades that claimed the lives of all 110 passengers on board the ill-fated flight in 1996.

The airline was however purchased by Southwest Airlines in 2011 at an estimated $1.4 billion. Southwest Airlines after acquiring AirTran said that it will be eventually combining its fleets and bring those under Southwest brand.

A spokesperson of Southwest Airlines said that under its integration plan the Boeing 737s in AirTran Airways fleet are being repainted. The smaller Boeing 717s will be sold to Delta Air Lines.

Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, said that all the aircrafts of AirTran Airways will don Southwest livery and its entire staff will be wearing the airline’s uniforms and badges in 2015.

Kelly also said that the international routes being currently flown by AirTran Airways will be taken over by Southwest Airlines from summer this year. Accordingly, Southwest Airlines will start operating international flights to the Bahamas, Aruba and Jamaica starting from July 1. The airline is also planning to introduce flights to Los Cabos and Cancun beginning August 10 this year.

Providing further details, Kelly said that Southwest Airlines will be expanding its network and introduce flights to 50 new destinations. Flights to half of these destinations will be launched in the next 3 years. After the expiry of the Wright Amendment on October 13, the airline will be launching flights out of Dallas Love Field Airport, while the airline will be introducing new international flights from Fort Lauderdale and Houston.

Kelly remarked that the year 2013 has proved to be big for Southwest Airlines. He hoped that 2014 will prove to be even bigger for the airline. He further said that presently the airline is nearly one-third through and this year appears to be quite monumental indeed.