BLOOMINGTON — On June 3, 2012, AirTran Airways will stop operating at the Central Illinois Regional Airport, despite accounting for 40 percent of the airport’s enplanements this year.

According to CIRA Spokesperson Fran Strebing, AirTran Airways’ decision to cease its service at the airport was influenced by its new business model that the airline developed after consolidating with Southwest Airlines.
“Southwest Airlines purchased AirTran earlier this year,” said Strebing. “In the integration process of combining the two airlines, many things were reviewed to determine how the airline would operate going forward.
“Under AirTran’s hub and spoke model of using Atlanta as a hub, smaller markets like BMI (Bloomington-Normal Airport) would feed the hub with passengers connecting on to other destinations. Southwest had determined that Atlanta will not be a hub for them and they will also be phasing out the Boeing 717 — AirTran’s current aircraft in and out of BMI. With fewer connecting flights through Atlanta and the fuel and operating costs of larger aircraft, Southwest determined that BMI would not fit in the combined airline’s new business model. They are focusing on adding flights to their larger cities.”
In addition to the CIRA, AirTran Airways will also stop operating at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tenn., Miami International Airport in Miami, Fla., Yeager Airport in Charleston, W.Va. and Dulles International Airport that is located near Washington, D.C., as a result of its new business model.
Since they began their service at the airport in 1997, AirTran Airways has provided CIRA passengers with low-fare direct and connecting flights to over 50 destinations.
“Losing AirTran Airways will mean the loss of low-fare service through Atlanta to the fifty plus destinations AirTran served throughout the United States and the Caribbean as well as the nonstop (flights) four times per week to Orlando International,” said Strebing.
Losing the low-fare service that AirTran Airways currently provides could cause CIRA’s other two airline carriers, Delta Air Lines and American Eagle, to increase their fares, said Strebing.
“AirTran’s presence here kept a competitive fare structure in place with the other two carriers from the Central Illinois Regional Airport,” said Strebing. “How the fares will be impacted remains to be seen as we move forward. Potentially, Central Illinois travelers could see fares rise, but the cost advantage of traveling from an airport close to home that also offers free parking will continue to contribute to the value of traveling from CIRA.”
CIRA officials tried to retain AirTran Airways’ service after they learned that Southwest Airlines had purchased the airline.
“We worked very aggressively to retain the AirTran service once Southwest bought AirTran earlier this year,” said Strebing. “We knew we had to have contingency plans in place in the event we were not successful. We have a plan that we are working on aggressively and we have also been contacted by other airline carriers about the potential to fill the gap we will experience with AirTran’s departure.”
Strebing is confident that the CIRA will be able to bring in other airline carriers after AirTran Airways leaves the airport in June.
“We have proven there is a market here and that we can draw passengers from the region,” said Strebing.
As an alternative to bringing in new airline carriers, CIRA could increase the services its other two airline carriers currently provide, to fill the gap that AirTran Airways will leave when they cease operations at the airport.
“Our strategy includes discussion with our current airlines about increasing service, also,” said Strebing.
Passengers with tickets or reservations for AirTran Airways flights from CIRA won’t have to change travel plans if they’re flying on or before June 3.