AIRWAYS FEATURE
At 23:39 EST on Sunday,
December 28, 2014, the
last AirTran Airways flight,
“Critter 1,” blocked in at
Tampa International Airport.
This final flight heralded
the successful completion
of AirTran’s integration
into Southwest, putting
an end to what had once
been ValuJet and had then
become AirTran.
PHOTO: KEN KOBASHI
AIRTRAN
F L I E S I N TO T H E S U N S E T
BY JACK HARTY
PHOTO: DARRYL SARNO
PHOTO: TOMAS DEL CORO
AIRTRAN | AIRWAYS FEATURE
PHOTO: EDDY GUAL
When ValuJet launched in 1993, the DC-9-30 was the backbone of its fleet. In just one year, twenty cities were added to its route map.
A
IRTRAN TRACES ITS ROOTS BACK
ValuJet filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in 1994, and,
to 1992, when Robert Priddy, founder of
shortly after, became one of the hottest trades on Wall Street.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Florida
In October 1995, the booming airline placed a firm order for
Gulf Airlines, started working on plans
50 McDonnell Douglas MD-95 aircraft, plus 50 options­—
to launch ValuJet, an airline that would
with a price list value of $1 billion—becoming one of the first
offer low fares and try to help
customers for the aircraft, which became known
fill the void that Eastern Air
as the 717 after Boeing tookover McDonnell
Lines had left in the southern air travel market
Even though Douglas in 1997.
when it had gone out of business in 1991. On
ValueJet
October 26, 1993, ValuJet flew its inaugural flight
As ValuJet continued to grow, reaching 31
(ValuJet 901) from Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson
helped make cities in 17 states, a certain level of turbulence
International Airport (ATL) to Tampa (TPA)
began to shake its future in late 1995. While the
flying more
with 105 customers onboard. Even though the
airline received rave reviews from passengers and
affordable
airline helped make flying more affordable for its
doubled its profits in the last quarter of that year,
customers, many did not take it seriously. ValuJet
it began facing several air safety concerns. In just
for its
had a cartoon character painted on the fuselage of
17 months, ValuJet experienced more than 114
customers,
the aging DC-9s it had acquired from Delta Air
emergency landings, forcing the FAA to open a
Lines (DL), and its orange-and-yellow, all-coach
many did not thorough investigation. To rub salt in the wound,
seats were not really appealing to customers. ValuJet
one of the airline’s DC-9s crashed into the
take them
based its operations in ATL, where it would have
Florida Everglades, resulting in 110 casualties and
seriously.
to compete directly with Delta, which had been
dooming the future of this distinctive carrier. This
dominating the region’s market since 1941.
accident, which occurred on May 11, 1996, led to
an intervention and subsequent grounding of the
Meanwhile, the ValuJet concept had become very profitable thanks
airline by the FAA. According to inspector David Hinson,
to non-union crews, low fares, high-aircraft utilization, and the sub“several serious deficiencies in the operations of the airline,”
contracting of most of its operational functions. Many customers
were found, including the failure to establish the airworthiness
embraced them, since its fares were much lower than Delta’s.
of some of its aircraft, deficiencies in the maintenance program,
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May 2015 | AIRWAYS | 21
AIRTRAN | AIRWAYS FEATURE
PHOTO: EDDY GUAL
As ValueJet second-hand DC-9-30s dwindled, the airline had to seek other options
to expand its fleet. Therefore, the airline became one of the few DC-9-20 operators
in the world. With only 10 built, ValueJet had two of the type, which ultimately were
phased out after the grounding in 1996.
and shortcomings in the quality assurance of the third party contractors,
besides an overall weakness in the engineering capability of the carrier’s
support organization. In the end, the voluntary grounding of the airline
lasted four months before operations were resumed again.
Meanwhile, the airline had made significant changes to ensure that safety
would be its top priority and had reduced its fleet from 51 aircraft to a mere
15 (11 DC-9s and four MD-80s). At this point, however, the damage to the
airline’s image had already become unmanageable, with the media heavily
reporting every little thing that went wrong on a ValuJet flight.
A NEW BEGINNING FOR VALUJET
Even though ValuJet was clearly in distress, in 1997, it started eyeing the
AirTran Corporation, which was the holding company of Mesaba Airlines—a
former Northwest Airlink carrier. AirTran had just acquired Conquest Sun
Airlines and planned to become a low-fare, all-Boeing 737 airline based out
of Orlando (MCO).
In July 1997, ValuJet Inc. announced plans to acquire AirTran Corporation.
Although ValuJet was the larger and better known airline, it opted to rename
and rebrand itself as AirTran Airways, incorporating a new logo (a simple
script teal “a”), a new slogan (“It’s something else”) and a new dual-class seating
system. As of September 24, 1997, the ValuJet brand was permanently retired
and the “Critter”, which had been both the name of the distinctive cartoonish
aircraft painted on all ValuJet aircraft and the airline’s callsign, became history,
as the new entity retained the original AirTran’s callsign of “Citrus”.
The new AirTran Airways did not just want to cater to leisure travelers with its
low fares—a philosophy it had inherited from Valujet—it also wanted to attract
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AIRWAYS FEATURE
AIRTRAN FACT
AirTran relied on the
Boeing 717-200 as the
backbone of its fleet.
The airline inherited
the order from
ValuJet originally
placed in 1995, and
was the cornerstone
of its success
among passengers.
Interestingly, the
airline was the
largest operator of
the type with 89
units, and had the
first and last frame
ever built. Southwest
ultimately decided
against adding a
second aircraft type
to its all-Boeing 737
fleet, leading to a
sale agreement with
Delta Air Lines for 88
units to replace its
50-seat regional jets
and DC-9-50s.
PHOTO: DARRYL SARNO
The merger between ValuJet and AirTran also brought
a rebranding of the surviving airline. Afterwards, it
remained quite untouched until its final flight.
business travelers. Typically, this segment did not
fly with low-fare airlines, so AirTran introduced a
Business Class on all of its aircraft and reconfigured
all its DC-9s to 16 business and 90 economy class
seats. AirTran would go through a massive and
very successful turnaround, as its executives worked
extremely hard to turn ValuJet’s somewhat tarnished
reputation into AirTran’s new and better one. The
airline would still keep ATL as its main hub, but
would be headquartered in MCO.
To everyone’s surprise, bringing ValuJet and AirTran
Corporation together proved to be a smooth
operation, and, overall, employees were onboard
and supportive. Many of the latter cited both the
old and new managements’ focus on ensuring that
employees came first, which was an approach quite
similar to that of Southwest. In the summer of 1998,
the two airlines became one in the eyes of the FAA
when they received their single operating certificate,
and, six months later, a new management team took
over, led by Joe Leonard, a veteran of Eastern Air
Lines, and Robert L. Fornaro, from US Airways.
At the dawn of the 21st Century, AirTran began to
receive the first Boeing 717s it had inherited from
ValuJet’s 1995 order. By August 2001, AirTran’s
stock began trading on the New York Stock
Exchange and the airline had grown to serve more
than 56 cities, coast-to-coast, operating over 700
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flights a day and transporting nearly 20 million
passengers per year.
Conversely, after the terror attacks of September
11, 2001, AirTran slashed its scheduled flights by
20% (and also became the first airline to reinforce
the cockpit doors of all the aircraft in its fleet). In
November 2002, the airline reached an agreement
with Air Wisconsin to operate certain regional
flights using Bombardier CRJ jets. This venture,
called AirTran Jet Connect, however, was put to
an end by mid-2004.
Showing signs of continued growth, AirTran
subleased four Airbus A320s to Ryan International;
this spurred rumors of a major order placement,
which became true a month later, when the airline
ordered 100 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft
to help spread its wings across the United States. It
also placed a bid for 14 gates at Chicago Midway,
after ATA ceased operations in 2004. As the airline
rejuvenated itself, the last Douglas DC-9 left
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AIRWAYS FEATURE
AirTran’s fleet on January 5, 2004; from point onwards, AirTran
operated more than 70 Boeing 717s.
In early 2005, XM Radio and AirTran partnered to launch
a complimentary radio service on its flights,
setting a new in-flight entertainment standard
for commercial aviation. Further, it equipped
its entire fleet with GoGo WiFi internet
“Many
service—an industry first.
In 2006, AirTran attempted to take over Midwest
Airlines; however, eight months later, the deal
expired and did not materialize. Nevertheless,
the airline opened its second crew base in
Milwaukee and made the city a hub in 2010.
NEW HORIZON WITH SOUTHWEST
marry the Dallas Love Field-based carrier, and on September
28, 2010, Southwest Airlines finally announced that it would
acquire AirTran Airways with a $3.4 billion bid.
did not
think AirTran and
Southwest would
mesh well as
they were both
different in many
ways.”
In April 2010, new plans were on the books
for AirTran, as Gary Kelly, the CEO at
Southwest, started discussing a possible
merger with Bob Fornaro. AirTran’s chief
noted that he would only be interested in merging his airline
under the right circumstances. Six months later, when fuel costs
spiked and the economy started to decline, Fornaro agreed to
Many thought that AirTran and Southwest
would not mesh well, as they were different in
many ways. AirTran operated a mix of 717s
and 737s, a Business Class cabin, and operated
a hub-and-spoke network. Southwest, on the
other hand, only operated—and still only
operates—Boeing 737s, all in a one-class
configuration and mostly point-to-point.
Despite these noticeable differences, the
merger between the two went forward. The
combined carrier received a single operating
certificate on March 1, 2012, and, just under
a year later, Southwest began code sharing
with AirTran, as it began the process of slowly
absorbing its operations, city by city.
In May 2014, Southwest announced that
December 28, 2014, would be the final day
for AirTran operations. On this last day, AirTran completed
close to 90 flights to more than a dozen cities. For the most
part, it looked like business as usual at ATL, despite the many
PHOTO: BEN WANG
“Critter 1” commanded by Floy Ponder and Janine Hutcheson was the last AirTran operation ever. With a full passage of 117, the flight had a
standby list of over 800 people.
AIRTRAN FACT
In 2005, AirTran became the
first airline ever to offer
a complimentary satellite
radio among the in-flight
entertainment options.
Teamed up with XM Satellite
Radio, the airline featured
a livery, showcasing a
rendering of Elton John
sporting a smile and, as
always, a pair of fashionable
glasses! However, the
service was put to an end in
2012 in the early stages of
integration with Southwest.
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employees preparing for a big farewell party
at Gate C3. Hundreds of AirTran employees
in older uniforms filled the gate area, where
a “One Family. One Love” themed party was
in full swing. The gate area was filled with
dancing, balloons, and even a cake in the
shape of an AirTran aircraft. Many AirTran
and Southwest employees spent some quality
time sharing memories and celebrating.
merger—also made a few remarks after Kelly.
“We didn’t want this to be like any other airline
merger,” he said. “We wanted this to be special,
just like Southwest treats its employees. This is
a party!” he noted. Jordan also took a moment
to praise Fornaro—who was quietly standing
in the background—for his leadership and
passing of the torch. At this, a loud round of
applause and several cheers filled the place.
A little more than an hour before flight
“Critter 1” was scheduled to board, several
Southwest executives came together at a
podium in the middle of the gate area for a
few remarks. Gary Kelly described AirTran’s
“Flight 1” as a commencement, “the end of
something that was great, but now, it’s the
start of something even better, thanks to the
people of AirTran,” he said.
AIRTRAN’S FLIGHT INTO THE SUNSET
Bob Jordan, Southwest’s Executive Vice
President and Chief Commercial Officer—
as well as AirTran’s President through the
Kelly and Jordan signed a commemorative
certificate marking the final AirTran flight.
Minutes later, Kelly started scanning
boarding passes and welcoming passengers
onboard; these were greeted with drinks and
AirTran memorabilia at their seats.
Flight 1 would be under the command of
AirTran’s Director of Flight Operations,
Floy Ponder, who had 19 years of experience
with the airline, and First Officer Janin
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PHOTO: CARY LIAO
PHOTO: DARRYL SARNO
PHOTO: BEN WANG
PHOTO: CARY LIAO
PHOTO: CARY LIAO
PHOTO: CARY LIAO
PHOTO: DARRYL SARNO
PHOTO: CARY LIAO
PHOTO: CARY LIAO
PHOTO: ROBERTO COLLAZO
AIRTRAN | AIRWAYS FEATURE
Hutcheson, who had been with AirTran since ValuJet.
They were joined by Captain John E. Souders in the
cockpit’s jump seat—a decorated Marine aviator,
Vietnam veteran fighter pilot, retired Eastern Airlines
captain, and the first pilot ValuJet had hired. Captain
Souders had been one of the pilots on the 1993
inaugural flight and had also served as AirTran’s Chief
Pilot and VP of Flight Operations.
After boarding was complete, more than a hundred
employees and media representatives went down to
the ramp to watch the final flight pushback. Looking
around, it was clear that emotions were running high,
as many posed for one more picture with the Critter.
Fire trucks lined up between Concourses C and D
to give N717JL (AirTran’s 50th 717) a traditional
water-cannon salute. The aircraft pushed back from
the gate on time, received its salute, and taxied out to
the runway. At 22:30EST and to thunderous applause,
AirTran Flight 1 began a 35-second take off roll.
Once above 10,000 feet, the inflight party began. Two
Boeing 717 models were passed around and signed by
the 117 passengers and six crew. The flight was full,
and there had been more than 800 additional people
on the standby list. Many AirTran employees had
purchased tickets just to be part of this historic event.
Four flight attendants, cloaked in AirTran sashes, went
through the cabin twice to provide one final beverage
service while navigating around the crowded aisles, and
several employees jumped in to help. Cocktails were
on the house, and there was even a champagne service
onboard—something that was not normally seen on
AirTran or Southwest flights. During the approach
into Tampa, there was a quick toast to the airline.
During final descent, the captain announced, “I can’t
say ‘See you on another AirTran flight,’ but hopefully
on another Southwest flight.” Shortly after, the seatbelt
signed was turned on. Almost immediately, passengers
started chanting for a go-around that, unfortunately,
did not happen. After a smooth landing at 23:36,
Flight 1 blocked in the gate, ending the AirTran era.
Many passengers stayed on board the aircraft for several
minutes while, inside the terminal, yet another party at
its height. Many AirTran employees from around the
system, particularly from other Florida stations, had
traveled to Tampa to celebrate their new beginning
with Southwest, an airline known for making its
employees feel like family. It was very emotional, with
lots of hugs and some tears, but many were excited for
the bright future ahead. Citrus and the Critter may be
gone, but they are anything but forgotten. –JH
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AIRTRAN: THE AIRLINE WITH SPECIAL LIVERIES
a
irTran’s livery did not undergo any massive rebrandings or significant changes throughout its
history. However, many special-themed liveries were
introduced to celebrate its relationship with sport teams,
artists, special accomplishments, and popular attractions.
In 2005, AirTran painted the face of music legend Elton John
on 20 Boeing 717s, when the airline began outfitting every
seat in its fleet with XM Radio. The airline also went as far
as offering its customers to track where all of the Elton John
airplanes were flying on its website.
Sir Elton John was not the only person to be painted on the side
of a Citrus plane; when Danica Patrick—renowned Indy pilot—
won her first and only race in 2008, AirTran painted her on the
side of a Boeing 717 along with the titles “AirTranica Won,” to
commemorate her victory for the Andretty-Green Racing team in
Motegi, Japan as it was the official airline of the team.
Yet another special scheme was unveiled with the picture of
Mark Malkoff—a writer, a comedian, and one who had a fear
of flying—on the side of an aircraft. For 30 days, he pretty
much lived on an AirTran plane as he traveled on 135 flights
over 100,000 miles, overcoming his fear of flying.
Although Atlanta was AirTran’s largest hub, Orlando was
where the airline was headquartered and had been since
communing operations before it was bought by ValuJet. “Say
YES to Orlando” and “Orlando Makes Me Smile” were both
painted on aircraft to promote Orlando’s Tourism. Typically,
most think of Disney World or Universal when they think of
Orlando, so, AirTran also rebranded one of its 717s to coincide
with the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Another notable livery was “Dolphin 1,” to highlight the
airline’s partnership with the world’s largest aquarium—the
Georgia Aquarium. A large dolphin was painted on a 737 to
promote the new Dolphin attraction.
AirTran was also known for painting aircraft in a special
livery for each of the sport teams they sponsored. When
the Milwaukee Brewers celebrated their 40th anniversary,
AirTran painted a special livery to honor the team. The
airline also introduced “Magic 1” in honor of its partnership
with the Orlando Magic NBA team, “Colts 1,” in honor of
the Indianapolis Colts, “Ravens 1” in honor of the Baltimore
Ravens team, and “Falcons 1” in honor of the Atlanta Falcons,
among others.
AirTran’s special liveries will be missed. That’s something
Southwest Airlines should carry on with as part of the
acquired legacy the AirTran brand has brought in to this
remarkable and smooth merger.
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