In 2010, announced it would acquire AirTran for $1.4 billion to gain access to key markets like Atlanta and international routes to Mexico and the Caribbean.
: After the tragic crash of Flight 592 in the Everglades in 1996, the ValuJet brand became synonymous with safety concerns. airtran
: Southwest eventually retired the AirTran brand and sent its specialized Boeing 717 fleet to Delta. Today, memorabilia from the "big little a" is preserved at Southwest's headquarters in Dallas. In 2010, announced it would acquire AirTran for $1
: In a rare corporate maneuver, the much larger ValuJet purchased the smaller, Orlando-based AirTran Airways in 1997 and adopted its name to shed its negative reputation. Innovative Business Model airtran
AirTran:the business model for the Majors? - Aviation Strategy