AirTran dropping Sarasota, White Plains

By Kelly Yamanouchi

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Southwest Airlines announced another round of cuts of AirTran Airways flights in the wake of its acquisition of AirTran last year.

Enlarge photo

Joseph Kaczmarek, AP Southwest Airlines plans to cut more routes, including some destinations leaving from Atlanta.

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Two of the destinations being axed -- White Plains, N.Y., and Sarasota, Fla. -- have been served from Atlanta. Other cities being dropped by AirTran include Allentown, Pa.; Lexington, Ky.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Huntsville, Ala.. The cuts take effect Aug. 12.

Southwest's chief commercial officer Bob Jordan, who also serves as president of AirTran, said in a written statement that "there are some markets that we simply cannot make work in the current fuel (price) environment."

Travelers do not need to change their travel plans for flights before Aug. 12, according to Southwest.

Dallas-based Southwest acquired Orlando-based AirTran last May, and last year announced plans to pull AirTran flights from Atlanta to Atlantic City, N.J., Newport News, Va., Dulles International in Washington, D.C. and Bloomington/Normal in Illinois. Those were part of broader announcements of pullouts of AirTran cities.

"The airline industry continues to face many challenges, including significantly higher fuel costs," Jordan said.

AirTran served 69 cities when Southwest acquired it last May, and 53 of those will convert to Southwest service. The first airport both airlines serve that will fully convert to Southwest service is Seattle-Tacoma International, which makes the switch in August.

AirTran, the second-largest carrier at Hartsfield-Jackson, has long operated a hub in Atlanta. Southwest last year also said that it will gradually dismantle the connecting hub and focus more on passengers traveling to and from Atlanta.