ORLANDO, Fla., Sep 26, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of
AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AAI), today announced that the low-fare airline
will launch a new regional jet operation, AirTran JetConnect, on November 15.
AirTran JetConnect, operated by Air Wisconsin, will fly CRJ regional jets in
short-haul markets to and from the airline's hub at Hartsfield Atlanta
International Airport.
Operated with the popular 50-seat CRJ regional jets made by Bombardier of
Montreal, Quebec, AirTran JetConnect will initially serve several cities from
its Atlanta hub - Greensboro, N.C., Pensacola, Fla., and Savannah, Ga. - all of
which are currently served by AirTran Airways. In addition, AirTran JetConnect
will allow the airline to expand into other short-haul markets as well as
increase frequencies in underserved markets -- resulting in a stronger catchment
area for AirTran Airways' Atlanta hub.
"Developing a regional partner to feed AirTran Airways has been our goal for
some time, and we are pleased to introduce the AirTran JetConnect service to
extend our brand of low fares and quality service," stated Robert L. Fornaro,
AirTran Airways' president and chief operating officer. "With the launch of
AirTran JetConnect, we will also be able to redeploy our Boeing 717s to increase
frequencies in longer haul, more profitable markets and facilitate growth in
larger markets we do not currently serve. In addition, we look forward to our
partnership with Air Wisconsin, a company recognized throughout the industry for
its high quality and reliability."
Listed below is the initial pattern of service for AirTran JetConnect:
Number of Roundtrips Per Day Effective November 15th
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Market AirTran Airways AirTran JetConnect
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Greensboro/High Point/
Winston-Salem - Atlanta 2 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pensacola/Gulf Coast - Atlanta 2 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Savannah/Hilton Head - Atlanta 0 4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
AirTran Airways provides affordable air travel with 388 flights a day to 40
cities throughout the eastern United States. The airline's hub is at Hartsfield
Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport (by passenger
volume), where it is the second largest carrier operating 151 flights a day.
AirTran Airways is a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AAI).
Unlike other airlines, AirTran Airways never requires a roundtrip purchase or
Saturday night stay. The airline offers a Business Class any business can
afford, all-assigned seating, a generous frequent flier program, and a corporate
program called A2B. For more information and reservations, visit airtran.com
(America Online Keyword: AirTran), call your travel agent or AirTran Airways at
1-800-AIRTRAN (800-247-8726) or 770-994-8258 in Atlanta. En espanol,
1-877-581-9842.
Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation (AWAC) is a privately held company providing
scheduled passenger and airfreight service from 45 cities in 21 states and
Canada with over 325 departures per day. AWAC operates a fleet of seventeen 86 -
100 seat British Aerospace 146 quad jet aircraft, ten 32 seat Dornier 328 high
speed turboprop aircraft and twenty-seven 50 seat Canadair Regional Jets. The
company employs about 3,100 people. Visit the Air Wisconsin website at
http://www.airwis.com.
Editor's note: Statements regarding expanded service and redeployment of assets
are forward-looking statements and are not historical facts. Instead, they are
estimates or projections involving numerous risks or uncertainties, including
but not limited to, consumer demand and acceptance of services offered by the
Company, the Company's ability to maintain current cost levels, fare levels and
actions by competitors, regulatory matters and general economic conditions.
Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from
time to time in the Company's SEC filings, including but not limited to the
Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001. The
Company disclaims any obligation or duty to update or correct any of its
forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: AirTran Airways, Orlando
Tad Hutcheson, 407/251-5578
URL: http://www.businesswire.com
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