AirTran Airways Celebrates Opening of New Metro Atlanta Call Center In Carrollton

[AirTran Airways via BizWire]

AirTran Airways Celebrates Opening of New Metro Atlanta Call Center In Carrollton; Facility to Create 200 New Jobs, Stimulate Area Economy
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2004--AirTran Airways, a
subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc., (NYSE:AAI), today celebrated the
opening of its Carrollton, Ga., prototype call center, which will
employ more than 200 people. AirTran Airways currently operates two
other call centers in Atlanta and Savannah, Ga., together employing
more than 700 people.
Area business leaders, as well as Carrollton Mayor Wayne Garner
attended the event. Slater Barr, president and chief executive officer
of Carroll Tomorrow, the economic development center that worked with
AirTran Airways to make the facility possible, and Dr. Beheruz N.
Sethna, president of State University of West Georgia were present at
the celebration and honored as partners in this endeavor along with
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. AirTran Airways' president and
chief operating officer Robert Fornaro attended and spoke,
highlighting the airline's continued efforts to contribute to the area
economy and preserve call center jobs for U.S. workers.
"AirTran Airways has a proud history of keeping call center jobs
stateside, in an era of exporting just these types of jobs overseas,"
said Fornaro. He added, "When deciding on a location for the call
center, AirTran Airways made a concerted effort to keep the call
center near a university for this prototype, and Carrollton has proven
to be an excellent choice."
The new Call Center is located at 200 Glen Eagles Court at the
intersection of Hay's Mill Road and the Highway 166 Bypass in
Carrollton. AirTran Airways will utilize the center to handle
reservations and customer relations phone calls. Much of the center's
part-time staff is comprised of students from nearby State University
of West Georgia, offering the students solid resume building
experience and a livable working wage.
AirTran Airways is one of America's largest low-fare airlines -
employing more than 5,600 professional Crew Members and operating 531
flights a day to 45 destinations. The airline's hub is at
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest
airport by passenger volume, where it is the second largest carrier
operating 197 flights per day. AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of
AirTran Holdings (NYSE: AAI), is the world's largest operator of the
Boeing 717 and has America's youngest all-Boeing fleet. In 2004, the
airline will begin taking delivery of new Boeing 737-700s. For
reservations or more information, visit http://www.airtran.com
(America Online Keyword: AirTran).