The Dispatch
Discount carrier AirTran coming to Port Columbus
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
BY MARLA MATZER ROSE
Local travelers still stinging from Skybus Airlines’ demise are expected to get a welcome piece of news today, as discount carrier AirTran Airways announces it will begin flights from Port Columbus in November.
The Orlando, Fla.-based airline will offer nonstop flights to Atlanta and Orlando and Fort Myers, Fla., beginning Nov. 6. Atlanta service will be twice daily, while service to the Florida destinations will be once daily. AirTran’s Atlanta hub offers connections to more than 40 other cities, including Miami, Houston and Los Angeles.
The announcement comes after a string of setbacks for Port Columbus and other airports. In addition to losing service from JetBlue Airways and Skybus this year, Port Columbus has faced deep flight cuts from other airlines, including Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, as they’ve struggled with skyrocketing fuel prices.
Very cool! I’ve flown on AirTran out of Canton/Akron and had good experiences.
XM radio in the armrests was a nice bonus!
AirTran is the one with XM? Then I have flown them before. It was good. I thought ATA might have been the one with the XM radio. I can never keep AirTran and ATA separate in my head. It just seems like AirTran Airways should be ATA, but it’s not.