AirTran hits turbulence
BWI's No. 2 airline faces fuel, baggage dilemmas
By Laura McCandlish | Sun reporter
February 6, 2008
After six years of rapid growth at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, AirTran Airways is running into head winds that threaten its expansion here.
The low-cost airline grew exponentially after snatching up its first gate at BWI as US Airways retreated in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. With its headquarters in Orlando, Fla., and hub in Atlanta, AirTran found the coveted Mid-Atlantic center it had lacked.
It has since swelled to become BWI's second-largest carrier, flying nearly 2.5 million passengers last year non-stop to and from cities such as Boston and Atlanta, now even Seattle and Portland, Maine - routes that behemoth Southwest Airlines doesn't have.
"We moved very quickly," said Kevin Healy, the carrier's vice president of marketing and planning. "There's a lot of similarities between AirTran and Baltimore. AirTran has gone through a revival since 1999, and so has Baltimore."
But now it's contending with the soaring fuel prices and economic slowdown that's putting pressure on the entire industry. It also faces logistical challenges unique to BWI, where it struggles with an outdated baggage system that could hamper growth.
Story
BWI's No. 2 airline faces fuel, baggage dilemmas
By Laura McCandlish | Sun reporter
February 6, 2008
After six years of rapid growth at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, AirTran Airways is running into head winds that threaten its expansion here.
The low-cost airline grew exponentially after snatching up its first gate at BWI as US Airways retreated in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. With its headquarters in Orlando, Fla., and hub in Atlanta, AirTran found the coveted Mid-Atlantic center it had lacked.
It has since swelled to become BWI's second-largest carrier, flying nearly 2.5 million passengers last year non-stop to and from cities such as Boston and Atlanta, now even Seattle and Portland, Maine - routes that behemoth Southwest Airlines doesn't have.
"We moved very quickly," said Kevin Healy, the carrier's vice president of marketing and planning. "There's a lot of similarities between AirTran and Baltimore. AirTran has gone through a revival since 1999, and so has Baltimore."
But now it's contending with the soaring fuel prices and economic slowdown that's putting pressure on the entire industry. It also faces logistical challenges unique to BWI, where it struggles with an outdated baggage system that could hamper growth.
Story
