Air Tran brand name to be withdrawn by year-end
The AirTran brand name will finally disappear by the end of the year, merger partner Southwest Airlines said.
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said it will fully convert AirTran’s seven international flights and remaining domestic routes to the Southwest brand by the year-end.
"With our international reservation system scheduled for implementation later this month, we remain on track to convert AirTran in 2014," Kelly said.
The "integration of AirTran resulted in $400 million in annual net pre-tax synergies in 2013," he added.
Southwest acquired AirTran Airways back in 2011 but the integration progress has been slow.
High fuel prices have been partly to blame for the delay.
Another major obstacle for Southwest, as a domestic carrier, had been the absorbing of Air Tran’s international routes.
Southwest recently announced it would now begin flying overseas from July 2014 on its own planes, adding: "the current plan is to essentially take the AirTran international footprint and gradually move it over to Southwest."
The carrier closed out 2013 with a record full-year $754 million profit.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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