Southwest hits milestone toward AirTran acquisition

Southwest Airlines said it has hit a major milestone in the path toward completing its acquisition of AirTran Airways.

Southwest said the Federal Aviation Administration accepted its transition plan to combine operations with AirTran Airways, once the deal is approved and closed. Dallas-based Southwest last September announced a deal to acquire Orlando-based AirTran. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of this year, pending clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice and approval by AirTran shareholders.

The transition plan outlines how Southwest and AirTran, which have separate operating certificates from the FAA, would work toward a single operating certificate.

Southwest also announced an agreement with its pilots union on a procedural framework to eventually integrate AirTran pilots into Southwest. A Southwest spokesman said the agreement lays the foundation for discussions between Southwest and AirTran pilots..

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