Airtran 717s to fly for Delta?

[On Your Six]

I have no idea if this is true or not, but someone on APC just threw this out there:



"According to Plane Business, Holly Hegman, the Air Tran 717's are going to fly for Delta. This on Twitter in the past hour....."


It was on the other website, and I cannot verify this. I also don't belong to Plane Business. Can someone who does see if this was an actual tweet and what the story is? Btw, I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone at SWA or AT, I hope any plane that is let go is replaced one for one with another one, maybe a 737.



Godspeed!


The OYSter

 

[On Your Six]

Here is the supposed tweet:



"Those @AirTran 717s at @SouthwestAir? They're gone. Confirm from our sources at #ISTAT12 that @Delta has deal in place for those birds."



Godspeed!


The OYSter

 

[BoilerUP]

ISTAT is pretty much a whose-who conference of transport aircraft sales and leasing...

 

[BR715]

Would not suprise me at all!

 

[Medeco]

I know a management MTC guy on Airtran side that said Delta and Southwest came very close to a deal a while back. Delta wanted them faster than Southwest could replace them. Maybe they worked out a solution?

 

[IslandDriver]

Maybe they sold them the pilots too...wouldn't bother me!

 

[fletch717]

Maybe they sold them the pilots too...wouldn't bother me!

You're a class act island driver.

 

[GIZMONC]

There is also a post over on airliners.net.. Same thing, here is the link:

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/5417097/

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

". . . and we'll throw in a gently used 737-700 as part of the deal. . . "

 

[afhercdriver]

If this is true I would like to know what the AirTran guys think.
Would you like to stay at SWA or go with the airplanes?
It might be better to go to Delta with the number of retirements
They are going to have.

Jim