AirTran Airways ranked top low-cost air carrier by AQR for the third year in a row

The AQR study was developed in 1991 as an objective method for assessing airline quality by professors at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute and the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University. AirTran Airways ranked first overall in 2008 and has been ranked the number one low-cost carrier (and number two carrier overall) the past two years.

"We pride ourselves on providing a very consistent, high-quality, low-cost product to our customers," said Bob Fornaro, chairman, president and CEO of AirTran Airways. "The AQR recognized the efforts of our 8,500 dedicated Crew Members and because of their hard work, we have again been named the best low-cost carrier in America."

The AQR reports that AirTran Airways maintained its industry leading mishandled baggage rate, dropping to an industry best 1.67 per 1,000 passengers in 2009 (from 2.87 per 1,000 passengers in 2008). The Airline Quality Rating 2010 reflects monthly scores for the calendar year 2009 and is based on four major areas: on-time performance, denied boardings, mishandled baggage and customer complaints.

AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI) and a Fortune 1000 company, has been ranked the number one low cost carrier in the Airline Quality Rating study for the past three years. AirTran is the only major airline with Gogo Inflight Internet on every flight and offers coast-to-coast service on North America's newest all-Boeing fleet. Our low-cost, high-quality product also includes assigned seating, Business Class and complimentary XM Satellite Radio on every flight.