More evidence that the traditional business model is plain (plane) broken:

State of Georgia Awards AirTran Airways Travel Contract; Airline Becomes a Preferred Carrier for State Employees


ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 2002--AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AAI), today announced the state of Georgia has awarded the low-fare airline an annual travel contract to be a preferred carrier for government employee travel. The contract, awarded through a competitive bidding process, will allow AirTran Airways to provide nonstop service between Atlanta and 18 domestic
destinations for state employees.

"The state of Georgia joins a growing list of organizations from the public and private sectors that value AirTran Airways' affordable fares and excellent customer service," said Kevin Healy, vice president of planning and sales. "We look forward to showing our new customers why AirTran Airways is one of America's fastest-growing and successful airlines."

The destinations included in the contract, in addition to Atlanta, are Akron/Canton; Baltimore/Washington (BWI); Buffalo/Niagara; Dayton; Ft. Lauderdale; Ft. Myers; Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem; Gulfport/Biloxi; Houston (Hobby); Jacksonville; Kansas City; New Orleans; New York (LaGuardia); Newark; Pensacola; Raleigh/Durham; Savannah/Hilton Head; and Washington (Dulles).

AirTran Airways provides affordable air travel with 388 flights a day to 40(a) cities throughout the eastern United States. The airline's hub is at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport (by passenger volume), where it is the second largest carrier operating 152 flights a day. AirTran Airways is a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AAI).

Unlike other airlines, AirTran Airways never requires a roundtrip purchase or Saturday night stay. The airline offers a Business Class any business can afford, all-assigned seating, a generous frequent flier program, and a corporate program called A2B. For more information and reservations, visit airtran.com (America Online Keyword: AirTran), call your travel agent or AirTran Airways at 1-800-AIRTRAN (800-247-8726) or 770-994-8258 in Atlanta. For
Spanish, call 1-877-581-9842. (a) West Palm Beach service begins Dec.10, 2002.

CONTACT:

AirTran Airways, Orlando

Tad Hutcheson, 407/251-5578

SOURCE: AirTran Airways