CrewDog97
Sure beats working...
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2007
- Posts
- 34
AirTran Airways, Inc., today reported record net income of $28.7 million or $0.21 per diluted share for the first quarter along with record operating income of $47.7 million. The Company also posted revenues of $542.0 million and achieved the highest first quarter load factor in Company history at 76.3 percent.
The combination of lower fuel prices, low costs, and quality service coupled with fleet and route network adjustments has resulted in the Company posting its best first quarter earnings in history. Total fuel costs for the quarter were down 50.5 percent year-over-year on a 7.2 percent reduction in capacity as measured by available seat miles (ASMs).
"Our ability to report a profit today is rooted in the difficult decisions we made last year. AirTran Airways was among the first airlines to react to the changing economic environment and we are among the first to show signs of recovery," said Bob Fornaro, AirTran Airways' chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Our Crew Members deserve much of the credit as they continue to provide a high-quality product to our customers seeking real value and we are pleased to have been recognized, for the second consecutive year, as first in quality among major carriers in 2008."
During the first quarter, AirTran Airways expanded service in several markets that represented opportunities for significant traffic. Flights in Milwaukee have increased more than 50 percent year over year and more than 30 scheduled daily departures are planned for the Summer schedule. Additional flights and new cities were also added to the Orlando route network and AirTran Airways now has more than 60 peak day departures to 36 destinations and is the second largest carrier to America's top vacation destination.
"AirTran Airways' ability to be nimble and responsive to changing market conditions is a tremendous competitive advantage. Increasing flights to and from Milwaukee and Orlando while redesigning our Atlanta hub schedule to make the network more efficient and productive are the latest examples of this capability," said Kevin Healy, senior vice president of marketing and planning for AirTran Airways.
While the Company expanded to new markets and continued to offer high-value, friendly service, AirTran Airways remained sharply focused on remaining the lowest cost producer among major airlines.
"While the weakening economy has begun to pressure prices throughout the airline sector, our industry leading, low-cost structure has allowed us to offset this challenge," said Arne Haak, senior vice president of finance, treasurer and chief financial officer for AirTran Airways. "We are committed to maintaining our low cost advantage and expect to remain profitable every quarter this year despite the current economic environment."
Other highlights of AirTran Airways' accomplishments in the first quarter and to date include:
-- Ranked #1 among all low-cost carriers for the second consecutive year
in the Airline Quality Rating (www.aqr.aero). This is the fifth
consecutive year AirTran ranked third or higher for quality among all
U.S. carriers in this prestigious rating.
-- Chosen as Travelzoo's Best Provider of Domestic Air Fare Deals in
2009.
-- Announced service commencing in five new cities (Atlantic City, N.J.,
Allentown, Pa., Charleston, W.Va., Asheville, N.C., and Knoxville,
Tenn.) and 14 new routes.
-- Partnered with the Milwaukee Brewers by establishing the AirTran
Airways Landing Zone at Miller Park and by signing Milwaukee Brewers
slugger Ryan Braun as the latest celebrity endorser.
-- Consolidated support operations including: customer service, inflight,
recruiting, marketing and sales in AirTran's new Atlanta Corporate
Center.
The combination of lower fuel prices, low costs, and quality service coupled with fleet and route network adjustments has resulted in the Company posting its best first quarter earnings in history. Total fuel costs for the quarter were down 50.5 percent year-over-year on a 7.2 percent reduction in capacity as measured by available seat miles (ASMs).
"Our ability to report a profit today is rooted in the difficult decisions we made last year. AirTran Airways was among the first airlines to react to the changing economic environment and we are among the first to show signs of recovery," said Bob Fornaro, AirTran Airways' chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Our Crew Members deserve much of the credit as they continue to provide a high-quality product to our customers seeking real value and we are pleased to have been recognized, for the second consecutive year, as first in quality among major carriers in 2008."
During the first quarter, AirTran Airways expanded service in several markets that represented opportunities for significant traffic. Flights in Milwaukee have increased more than 50 percent year over year and more than 30 scheduled daily departures are planned for the Summer schedule. Additional flights and new cities were also added to the Orlando route network and AirTran Airways now has more than 60 peak day departures to 36 destinations and is the second largest carrier to America's top vacation destination.
"AirTran Airways' ability to be nimble and responsive to changing market conditions is a tremendous competitive advantage. Increasing flights to and from Milwaukee and Orlando while redesigning our Atlanta hub schedule to make the network more efficient and productive are the latest examples of this capability," said Kevin Healy, senior vice president of marketing and planning for AirTran Airways.
While the Company expanded to new markets and continued to offer high-value, friendly service, AirTran Airways remained sharply focused on remaining the lowest cost producer among major airlines.
"While the weakening economy has begun to pressure prices throughout the airline sector, our industry leading, low-cost structure has allowed us to offset this challenge," said Arne Haak, senior vice president of finance, treasurer and chief financial officer for AirTran Airways. "We are committed to maintaining our low cost advantage and expect to remain profitable every quarter this year despite the current economic environment."
Other highlights of AirTran Airways' accomplishments in the first quarter and to date include:
-- Ranked #1 among all low-cost carriers for the second consecutive year
in the Airline Quality Rating (www.aqr.aero). This is the fifth
consecutive year AirTran ranked third or higher for quality among all
U.S. carriers in this prestigious rating.
-- Chosen as Travelzoo's Best Provider of Domestic Air Fare Deals in
2009.
-- Announced service commencing in five new cities (Atlantic City, N.J.,
Allentown, Pa., Charleston, W.Va., Asheville, N.C., and Knoxville,
Tenn.) and 14 new routes.
-- Partnered with the Milwaukee Brewers by establishing the AirTran
Airways Landing Zone at Miller Park and by signing Milwaukee Brewers
slugger Ryan Braun as the latest celebrity endorser.
-- Consolidated support operations including: customer service, inflight,
recruiting, marketing and sales in AirTran's new Atlanta Corporate
Center.