Airtran Apr 2026

* Substantial cost advantage. AirTran has achieved impressive cost cuts over the past 18 months; in 2002 its unit costs fell by 8. Aviation Strategy

: The airline was the global launch customer for the Boeing 717 , a modern, fuel-efficient aircraft that became the backbone of its fleet. The "Citrus" Legacy in Atlanta airtran

: On December 28, 2014, AirTran’s Flight 1 took off from Atlanta to Tampa—the same route as ValuJet’s first-ever commercial flight—marking the official end of the airline. * Substantial cost advantage

The most fascinating part of AirTran’s history is its origin as , which launched in 1993. The "Citrus" Legacy in Atlanta : On December

: Southwest eventually retired the AirTran brand and sent its specialized Boeing 717 fleet to Delta. Today, memorabilia from the "big little a" is preserved at Southwest's headquarters in Dallas.

: In a rare corporate maneuver, the much larger ValuJet purchased the smaller, Orlando-based AirTran Airways in 1997 and adopted its name to shed its negative reputation. Innovative Business Model