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Airtran 717s to fly for Delta?

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Gary Kelly won't discuss rumors that Delta will take its Boeing 717s

By Terry Maxon/Reporter
[email protected] | Bio
5:11 PM on Wed., Mar. 21, 2012 | Permalink
Southwest Airlines picked up a fleet of 88 Boeing 717s when it acquired AirTran Airways last May. Chairman and chief executive officer Gary Kelly a few months later allowed that the 117-seat 717s didn't fit into Southwest's fleet type and that he'd rather fly only the bigger Boeing 737.

A rumor out of an industry meeting in Phoenix has Delta Air Lines as an interested acquirer of the AirTran aircraft. So we took the opportunity to ask Kelly during a media scrum Wednesday after Southwest's celebration of its first Boeing 737-800:

Us: Are you close to deal to send the Boeing 717s to Delta?

Kelly: "It's a rumor, so I don't comment on rumors."

Us: How about speculation?

Kelly: "I can't speculate, either."

Us: When do you think you might have closure on that rumor?

Kelly: "I can't comment. What I would say is that 717 is a fine airplane. We would be better suited with all 737s. If anything, we think our future is with bigger airplanes, not smaller. There's no secret that we're looking for a way to accelerate the retirement of the 717s out of our fleet. But in any event, we're going to operate the 717s for years. Otherwise, I'm aware of the rumors and I can't comment."

Last week at an investment conference, Delta president Ed Bastian carefully answered a question about Delta's possible interest in the AirTran 717s.

"We are looking at all arrangements, and we've taken note that Southwest has indicated a desire to exit the fleet," Bastian said at the J.P. Morgan conference. "I can't tell you whether that's going to be a decision Delta can take or not."
 
As far as OYS goes, don't we all have her blocked anyway?

That's great. But, why should a thread be erased if I do contribute articles when I find them? 6000 people viewed the thread. And there were TWO threads that were erased.


Godspeed!


The OYSter
 
Keep making this about yourself, OYS, and not the topic of the thread title, and they'll have to shut this one down too.
 
I pledge allegiance to the forum
Of Flightinfo.com on the internets.
And to the omnipotent moderators
For whom it creates a sense of power.
One forum under the Divine ASADFW.
Divided by subforums.
With infractions and censorship for all.
 
Keep making this about yourself, OYS, and not the topic of the thread title, and they'll have to shut this one down too.


717s possibly coming to DELTA is all about me? ASADFW7 likes to censor anything that MIGHT be a negative for SWA, even though I never stated that. He closed two threads, and all I did on the first one was post this same article. Then it was closed. I posted it again in a continuation thread, and after 7 posts that one was erased too. NO TOS infractions at all.


Godspeed!


The OYSter
 
I reopenned the thread and merged all three back together, please continue the discussion with less personal back and forth against OYS. Thank you
 
I pledge allegiance to the forum
Of Flightinfo.com on the internets.
And to the omnipotent moderators
For whom it creates a sense of power.
One forum under the Divine ASADFW.
Divided by subforums.
With infractions and censorship for all.


Well done.


Godspeed!


The OYSter
 

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