AirTran (original) (raw)
AirTran Airways is a low-cost United States airline formerly known as ValuJet. Its hub is in Atlanta, Georgia's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and operates routes mostly in the American Southeast and East.
ValuJet's first flight was in 1993. In 1996, ValuJet Flight 592, a DC-9 aircraft, crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 persons on board.
After the large amount of negative publicity surrounding this tragedy, ValuJet suffered serious financial problems and nearly went bankrupt. It merged with a smaller airline called AirTran and assumed its name in 1997.
After management turnover and some replacement of older airplanes, AirTran appears to have turned around financially and has become profitable, even in the very difficult business environment encountered by all U.S. airlines since the September 11 Terrorist Attacks.