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September 2,
1998
Letter sent to the editors of The Morning
Call and the Express Times
This letter
is in response to the article in the August 4, 1998 edition of The
Morning Call regarding AirTran's decision to discontinue service
to Lehigh Valley International Airport (LVIA) effective September
9, 1998.
This action
is the result of a broader strategic decision to focus our available
resources on the continued expansion of our Atlanta hub. AirTran
will discontinue all nonstop service to and from Orlando with the
exception of Atlanta in early September. Unfortunately, the decision
to reduce our Orlando presence overall meant the withdrawal of service
in several markets such as LVIA where our service was producing
relatively good results.
Throughout our
tenure at LVIA, we have enjoyed tremendous support from the airport
administration, the travel agency community and our many customers
for which all of us at AirTran are most appreciative. It is never
easy to discontinue service to a community where our service has
been so warmly received, however, it is imperative that we utilize
our assets in the most efficient manner possible so as to ensure
our long-term success. We look forward to the time when AirTran
will have the opportunity to serve the Lehigh Valley once again.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey L. MacKinney
AirTran
Senior Vice President Marketing and Planning
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