Airtran Airways

AirTran Airways announced this week that it will offer nonstop weekend flights between BWI Marshall Airport and Aruba starting December 17. According to BWI spokesman Jonathan Dean, the Saturday and Sunday service is the first new international route launched by AirTran since it became a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines. Dean noted in a statement that with the new service, Aruba becomes the sixth nonstop international or Caribbean destination offered by AirTran from BWI, after Bermuda; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cancun, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

AirTran Airways announced this week that it will offer nonstop weekend flights between BWI Marshall Airport and Aruba starting December 17. According to BWI spokesman Jonathan Dean, the Saturday and Sunday service is the first new international route launched by AirTran since it became a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines. Dean noted in a statement that with the new service, Aruba becomes the sixth nonstop international or Caribbean destination offered by AirTran from BWI, after Bermuda; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cancun, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

AirTran Airways will unveil a Baltimore Ravens Boeing 717 dubbed Ravens 1 this morning. The plane, which makes its debut at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, is painted purple and black with the Ravens logo on the tail of the plane. The plane will serve cities throughout AirTran's 60 destinations. The Ravens aircraft is the second football-themed plane in the AirTran fleet. It unveiled Falcons 1 two weeks ago, and it will soon introduce Colts 1.

Southwest Airlines, the largest carrier at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, announced today that it plans to acquire AirTran Airways. What does this mean for customers and shareholders? Read on: When is this going to happen? AirTran stockholders and federal regulators need to approve the deal — and the airlines say it could take months for both to occur. After the merger closes, Southwest said it could then take as long as two years to integrate the airlines and begin operating as one carrier.

A new baggage screening system will be demonstrated today at BWI Marshall Airport by airport officials, the Transportation Security Administration and AirTran Airways. The $39 million system, which includes a 14,000-square-foot addition to the terminal, was built to help accommodate growth at AirTran, the second-largest and fastest-growing airline at BWI. The new system includes a curbside check-in belt that merges with the baggage system at the ticket counter. It also has an explosive detection system, which works like an MRI to find weapons in bags.

The number of passengers who flew last year through Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport increased 2.3 percent compared to the previous year — one of only two airports among the 25 largest in the continental United States that showed growth, according to Gov. Martin O'Malley. The airport saw 20.9 million airline passengers last year despite the impact of the recession on travel. In the past six months, the airport has seen passenger numbers climb 8.4 percent, the administration reported.

AirTran Airways adding daily flights to three cities AirTran Airways, which began service from Baltimore-Washington International Airport in December, is adding daily nonstop flights from BWI to Rochester, N.Y., and to Fort Myers and Tampa, in Florida. Nonstop service to Fort Myers will begin Feb. 5, and a second daily flight will be added Feb. 14. Flights to Tampa and Rochester will begin March 14. The carrier also offers nonstop service to Atlanta and Boston and Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando, in Florida, with connections to more than 20 cities from its hub in Atlanta.

ATLANTA - It soon will be harder to avoid advertising if you fly on one major carrier. AirTran Airways is installing ads on the bottom of seat-back tray tables on all its planes. Passengers have to keep the tray tables in their upright, locked position, during the beginning and end of their flights. That means an unimpeded view of the ads, which AirTran hopes will bring in millions of dollars in new revenue at a time when much of the industry has been reeling amid the economic slowdown.

Free phones for passengers on AirTran , El Al Israel What's the deal? For some reason, phones are a popular freebie popping up for passengers traveling this spring. One deal from AirTran Airways and T-Mobile allows free in-flight use of a HTC HD2 phone. Passengers can check out the phone, which is set up with GoGo In-Flight and offers video features and Paramount Studios movie trailers, at the airport terminal before their flight and return it upon landing.

Sixty years ago today, President Harry S. Truman crossed the Potomac and boarded a propeller-driven military DC-6, the 1950 version of Air Force One, and took a short flight to dedicate a new airport carved out of Anne Arundel County farmland. The landing spot, which Truman hailed as "the creation of men who look ahead and have faith in the future," was called Friendship International Airport — a name it would retain for 23 years before becoming Baltimore- Washington International.

Free phones for passengers on AirTran , El Al Israel What's the deal? For some reason, phones are a popular freebie popping up for passengers traveling this spring. One deal from AirTran Airways and T-Mobile allows free in-flight use of a HTC HD2 phone. Passengers can check out the phone, which is set up with GoGo In-Flight and offers video features and Paramount Studios movie trailers, at the airport terminal before their flight and return it upon landing.

A new baggage screening system will be demonstrated today at BWI Marshall Airport by airport officials, the Transportation Security Administration and AirTran Airways. The $39 million system, which includes a 14,000-square-foot addition to the terminal, was built to help accommodate growth at AirTran, the second-largest and fastest-growing airline at BWI. The new system includes a curbside check-in belt that merges with the baggage system at the ticket counter. It also has an explosive detection system, which works like an MRI to find weapons in bags.

The number of passengers who flew last year through Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport increased 2.3 percent compared to the previous year — one of only two airports among the 25 largest in the continental United States that showed growth, according to Gov. Martin O'Malley. The airport saw 20.9 million airline passengers last year despite the impact of the recession on travel. In the past six months, the airport has seen passenger numbers climb 8.4 percent, the administration reported.

AirTran Airways has announced that it will begin nonstop service between Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Jacksonville, Fla., starting May 4. AirTran will offer daily flights to Jacksonville departing BWI at 10:30 a.m. and 7:55 p.m. Flights bound for BWI will depart Jacksonville at 7:40 a.m. and 3 p.m. Introductory fares will be as low as $74 one-way but must be booked by Feb. 25 for travel through June 9. Last week, AirTran...