Mechanics at Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways have approved a deal to combine work forces into a single seniority list as part of the Southwest-AirTran merger.

Dallas-based Southwest acquired Orlando-based AirTran last year, giving Southwest entrance into the Atlanta market. AirTran is the second-largest carrier at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and Southwest is gradually folding AirTran's operations into its own over the next couple of years.

Southwest's roughly 1,750  mechanics represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association and AirTran's 500 mechanics represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters finished voting on a seniority integration agreement Tuesday.

The approval comes after Southwest mechanics in February voted to reject a previous deal. AirTran mechanics had voted to approve that deal.

Southwest and AirTran pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, dispatchers, flight instructors, as well as operations, provisioning and freight agents have already negotiated seniority integration. Still in talks are customer service agents, customer support and service employees and stock clerks.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Protesters try to hold a banner depicting U.S. President Donald Trump as police officers and members of airport security block at the arrival terminal of the Incheon International Airport, in Incheon, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Delta employees are under investigation because of content “related to the recent murder of activist Charlie Kirk” that “went well beyond healthy, respectful debate,” CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a companywide memo Friday. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez