AirTran to operate Midwest hub

By Michelle E. Shaw

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

To better serve its customers in the Midwest, AirTran Airways will operate a secondary hub in Milwaukee, airline officials say.

The additional hub is expected to be in place by April, said Christopher White, an AirTran spokesman.

“It will certainly help us connect the Northeast and the West easier,” he said. "It will also mean there will be a group of pilots and flight attendants who won't have to start their day in Atlanta."

Atlanta, where approximately 48 percent of the airline’s flights originate, will continue to serve as its main hub, but there will be at least 50 pilots and 50 flight attendants based in Milwaukee. The city will be the second hub for pilots and the fourth for flight attendants, who are also based in Tampa and Orlando.

“We will initially take bids from existing pilots and flight attendants,” White said Tuesday. “We may later do some local hiring for those positions.”

The changes are not expected to have any effect on business in Atlanta, he said.

"Other than increasing competition and lowering fares on that specific route," White said of the Atlanta-to-Milwaukee itinerary. "So it is a good thing for passengers here in Atlanta."

AirTran, which is based in Orlando, has its largest hub at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The airline operates approximately 300 flights out of Atlanta daily compared with 50 in Milwaukee, which represents 11 percent of AirTran’s network, White said.

AirTran Airways said earlier this month it expects to post a record profit this year. An executive says the airline has been helped by its low-cost structure and strong growth in revenues from fees for things such as checked baggage.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.