AirTran Airways plans to announce today that it will start Atlanta-Phoenix service this winter, adding to its expanded roster of destinations in the West.
Orlando-based AirTran, which operates from an Atlanta hub, said in a scheduled news release that daily nonstops start in mid-February.
Phoenix is the largest U.S. city not served by AirTran from Atlanta, according to the airline. Currently, Delta Air Lines and US Airways offer the only nonstops on the route. Those two carriers could merge if Phoenix-based US Airways' unsolicited $8.9 billion takeover bid for Delta succeeds.
AirTran said it chose the city because customers requested Phoenix in a survey.
"It's just coincidence," spokesman Tad Hutcheson said of new flights to US Airways' home. "There's no message there."
Until recent years, AirTran flew only in the East and Midwest, but it now has nonstops to several West Coast cities. Fueling the expansion has been the addition of Boeing 737 jets with longer range than the airline's 717s.
Copyright 2005 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy
News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.
