AirTran plans expansion at New York LaGuardia

The recently-announced plan by ATA Airlines to discontinue its service to LaGuardia and Washington Reagan National has turned into a boon for AirTran Airways. The Atlanta-based low-fare carrier said it has acquired long-term leases from ATA for five daily slots at LaGuardia and one at National. According to press reports, AirTran CEO Joe Leonard told airline analysts last week that the carrier will add five daily flights out of LGA early next year; first will come new service from New York to leisure markets in Florida, followed in the spring by new routes from LGA to business markets in the Midwest and southeast. He did not identify specific destinations. The extra slot at Washington’s Reagan National will probably be used for additional service to Atlanta. AirTran also told analysts it will cut back its overall growth plans for 2008 from a 12 percent increase in capacity to 10.5 percent. It has deferred delivery of three new 737s that were due in 2008, but will still add 10 planes to its fleet next year. AirTran currently has 12 flights a day out of LaGuardia and five from Reagan National.