Airtran Closing 4 cities

[Flying the Line]

AirTran Airways said Monday it will cease service to Asheville, N.C., Moline, Ill., and Atlantic City, N.J., in January and Newport News, Va., in March.

Said AirTran, now owned by Southwest Airlines:

AirTran Airways can no longer support service to these particular markets in light of the realities of the challenging economic environment and sustained high fuel prices.
The Company's priority is to take excellent care of its dedicated Employees, Partners, and Customers in these markets. AirTran Employees at these locations have performed superbly and will have the opportunity to move elsewhere within the airline, after the operations cease early next year.

AirTran Airways will continue to operate at Asheville, Atlantic City, and Quad City airports through January 6, 2012, and at Newport News Williamsburg through March 9, 2012. Ticketed passengers, passengers holding reservations, or passengers desiring to make reservations for flights to or from these airports have no need to alter their travel plans prior to these closing dates. The airline will begin directly contacting the limited number of passengers who are currently holding reservations beyond the closing dates, in order to assist them in reaccommodating their air travel needs.

 

[scoreboardII]

The Borg has spoken, all hail the Borg.

 

[dicko]

The Borg has spoken, all hail the Borg.

We will incorporate your unique DNA into our collective.

 

[ATLplt]

Who cares? Besides PHF, which SWA serves with more frequency out of ORF, we flew like two flights a day to the others.

 

[GuppyWN]

Well...... considering the fact that it's RPM's lost and ya'll are already overstaffed via our models.

I care.

Gup

 

[27 driver]

Well...... considering the fact that it's RPM's lost and ya'll are already overstaffed via our models.

I care.

Gup

Me to Gup. Hopefully those routes will be replaced with more profitable ones.

 

[Fubijaakr]

Shouldn't the title of this thread be:

SWA closes 4 Air Tran stations

 

[madjack]

good point

 

[Flying the Line]

AirTran To Leave Four Small Markets
Airline Says Decision To Drop 'Underperforming Markets' Not Made In Haste
While Congress leaves the FAA financially crippled arguing over the issue of whether to subsidize empty seats on turboprops flying to small towns, it looks like four more cities might become candidates for the so-called Essential Air Services program.



AirTran Airways, which is preparing for a merger with Southwest, has issued a news release which says it will drop service to Asheville, NC; Atlantic City, NJ; Moline/Quad Cities, IL; and Newport News, VA.

In the case of Asheville, which had service to Orlando, the move eliminates duplication. Southwest began service in March at the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport in South Carolina, (GSP) which is only 55 miles from Asheville.

USA Today reports overlapping service is also a factor for Newport News-Williamsburg International, with Southwest already serving Norfolk, only 30 miles away, and AirTran already serving Richmond.

AirTran has served the Quad City International Airport for 15 years, but is currently down to just one daily non-stop flight connecting with Orlando.

The cut in service to Atlantic City was simply a matter of an underperforming market, according to AirTran.



When pressed by USA Today on the matter of Southwest CEO Gary Kelly's promise that the combined airline would "make every effort" to retain service to small cities, AirTran spokesman Chris White replied, "All decisions of this magnitude are evaluated with our long-term goals in mind. While the primary reasons for this decision are the current economic reality and high fuel prices, we must also take into account the long-term effect of these types of decisions on the newly combined company.

"It is important to reiterate that this decision, while difficult, has been under consideration for many months and even before our two airlines came together."

The cuts are effective January 6, 2012 for at Asheville, Atlantic City, and Quad Cities, and March 9, 2012 at Newport News. AirTran says the small number of customers who've already booked travel from affected cities after those dates will be contacted directly and "reaccommodated," and that employees affected will be offered work elsewhere within the company.

 

[4mr72drvr]

SWA would be smart to move the PHF-ATL flights to ORF. The two LGA slots will go to another market where SWA can make bigger money, probably the same for BOS.