AirTran Airways, Inc.

OST-2007-0032 - Exemption - 14 CFR 93 - DCA Slot Times

October 26, 2007

Application for an Exemption

AirTran Airways, Inc. hereby requests an exemption from 14 C.F.R. 93, and any other regulation to the extent required, permitting AirTran to assign the two Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport slots currently held by ATA Airlines, Inc. to the slot hour times in which they are currently being operated, rather than reverting them back to their original 2100 slot hour time. On November 28, 2007, pursuant to an agreement with ATA, AirTran will begin utilizing the two slots currently operated in the 1300 and 1400 slot hours by ATA. These two 2100 hour slots were originally awarded to ATA at the Federal Aviation Administration's August 12, 2003 slot lottery and then the FAA approved ATA's request that the slots be reassigned to the 1300 and 1400 slot hours. (See Department of Transportation Order 2003-9-30, Docket OST-2003-15968, September 30, 2003.)

Approval of AirTran's limited exemption request to allow AirTran to use those 2100 slots in the hours where they are currently being utilized will permit AirTran to better serve travelers by offering a greater variety of flights between DCA and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The exemption will allow AirTran to fly six daily roundtrip flights between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta spread out in various hours during the business day, which will better meet the demand for AirTran's low fares and superior service for both business and leisure travelers. These two slots are in popular travel times for AirTran's ATL-DCA passengers.

AirTran has one other daily DCA roundtrip - DCA-RSW.

By keeping these slots in the 1300 and 1400 slot hours rather than returning to the 2100 hour, AirTran will be also able to provide consumers with a significant number of connecting opportunities in AirTran's growing Atlanta hub. This will ensure that the slots originally awarded to ATA in the lottery are put to their best possible use to maximize consumer benefits. AirTran will operate all six of its daily DCA-ATL roundtrips with 137-seat Stage 3 Boeing 737 aircraft with a business class section. AirTran's Boeing 737 aircraft is fuel efficient, environmentally friendly and equipped with free XM satellite radio.

Counsel: Wiley Rein, Edward Faberman, 202-719-7402, efaberman@wileyrein.com