Daytona Beach International Airport welcomes Air Tran
A late holiday
gift is in store for area travelers. Air Tran Airways will launch
new jet service from Daytona Beach International Airport (DBIA) to
Atlanta and Baltimore.
“This is very
significant,” said County Chair Frank Bruno. “Air Tran is an airline
we’ve been coveting for a long time because its such a good fit for
our airport. We look forward to a long and successful partnership
with them.” U.S. Congressman John Mica joined county and Air Tran
officials Oct. 13 for the announcement.
“I always say
that DBIA has been in the path of concentric circles of growth,”
said Mica during the event. “I’ve seen even more traffic (at DBIA)
because it is so convenient and now will be even more cost
effective.”
Air Tran will
begin service with three daily flights to Atlanta Jan. 12. The
schedule will increase Feb. 15 to four daily flights to Atlanta and
one daily flight to Baltimore. Although announced as a seasonal
service, officials have said that could change based on passenger
demand.
Based in
Orlando, Air Tran is a low-fare airline that serves 50 U.S. cities
with a fleet of 121 jets including 87 Boeing 717s and 34 Boeing
737-700s. Air Tran has the youngest all-Boeing fleet of aircraft in
America. The 717 is configured for 117 seats – 105 in coach class
and 12 in business class. The Next-Generation 737-700 is configured
for 137 seats – 125 in coach and 12 in business class. Its service
includes free satellite radio, spacious overhead bins and assigned
seating. Its frequent flyer program is called A+ Rewards.
“Air Tran is
the new breed of airline,” said Dennis McGee, DBIA’s Director of
Aviation. “They present the model for where the commercial aviation
industry is headed. With
their low-cost fare structure I know they will be very successful in
our market.”
Added McGee:
“We’ve had a shortage of seats in the market for a great while, and
the biggest problem we’ve seen is people not being able to get a
seat in and out. Air Tran is going to help fill that void and it’s
going to put many more seats in the market.”
The new
service is the result of ongoing work, cooperation and mutual
support between Volusia County/DBIA and Volusia’s three tourism
authorities, continued McGee. An extensive marketing program, in
partnership with Air Tran, the county and the advertising
authorities will be implemented to inform the public of the new air
service, encourage inbound tourism and promote increased use of DBIA
throughout the region and originating Air Tran cities.
Air Tran
operates 700 daily flights within its system of serving 50 cities.
The airline has 241 daily flights from its Atlanta hub which offers
numerous flight connections and options.
“We have 245
flights a day out of Atlanta with connections to 45 other
destinations,” said Kevin Healy, Air Tran’s Vice President of
Planning and Scheduling. “Our Baltimore hub will offer even more
locations along the Northeast.”
For additional
information, please contact Stephen J. Cooke, Director of Business
Development at Daytona Beach International Airport, at 386/248-8030,
x8309
