Clayton News Daily

Southwest Airlines recently announced two new services at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, said airline officials.

There will be two daily nonstop flights between Atlanta and Norfolk, Va., as well as, Atlanta and Louisville, Ky., starting Aug. 12.

Travelers can start purchasing tickets now.

Recently, the airline announced its addition of nonstop flights from Atlanta to Las Vegas and Los Angeles, beginning March 10. Southwest will be begin service at Hartsfield-Jackson on Feb. 12, with 15 nonstop flights to five cities, including Baltimore and Chicago.

The airline plans to convert 22 AirTran Airways operations at 22 domestic and international airports, including Bishop International Airport in Flint, Mich.; Greater Rochester International Airport in Rochester, N.Y., and Pensacola International Airport in Pensacola, Fla., said officials.

Furthermore, AirTran served 69 cities when Southwest acquired it in May 2011, and 53 of those cities will be converted to Southwest service.

“We are committed to continuing to serve these communities — at first via AirTran, and eventually as Southwest,” said Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines executive vice president, chief commercial officer and AirTran Airways president.

He said he knows “the desire Southwest passengers have to access the cities currently operated by AirTran. There is great enthusiasm of the cities Southwest has decided to keep on its route map,” he said, “but, unfortunately, not all the cities served by AirTran will be kept, due to the fuel environment the market is currently facing.”

Southwest will maintain the routes operated by AirTran out of Hartsfield-Jackson, however, according to officials.

AirTran Airways will stop its flight operations at the following airports on Aug. 12: one daily nonstop at Lehigh Valley International Airport, in Allentown, Pa.; two daily nonstop flights at Blue Grass Airport, in Lexington, Ky.; one daily nonstop flight at Harrisburg International Airport Harrisburg, Pa.; six daily nonstop flights at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, in Sarasota, Fla.; two daily nonstop flights at Huntsville International Airport, in Huntsville Ala., and three daily nonstop flights in Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y.

Passengers holding or desiring to make reservations prior to Aug. 12, to or from, these airports don’t need to make changes, according to the airline.

“The airline industry continues to face many challenges, including significantly higher fuel costs,” stressed Jordan. “We must do everything we can to operate efficiently and profitably, align service with customer demand, and deliver the legendary customer service for which both airlines are known.”