New hangar in Atlanta

[gr8slvrflt]

AirTran has announced intention to break ground on a new $14.5 million hangar at Hartsfield (next to the old Eastern hangar off Virginia Avenue) by this December. It will be complete by December 2003 and will accomodate two 717s plus have a two-story office wing. There is room to add a second hangar at a later date. Asked about the possibility of moving the headquarters to Atlanta, the company said that would be too expensive right now but is possible down the road.

 

[N464AT]

I would like to know who is feeding you that old move to Atlanta rumor. The company spent millions in '98 by moving the HQ to MCO and does not even entertain the notion of spending any more to move back. The City of Orlando gave the company many tax breaks and incentives that the City of Atlanta never could or wanted to. There is also a significant income tax break by remaining in Florida. The cost alone would be way out of the question given the current economical conditions. What would be the benefits? I Don't think you will see a move of the Main Office to anywhere except to larger offices in Orlando.

 

[gr8slvrflt]

Joe Leonard was quoted in the Atlanta Journal that a move to Atlanta is possible in, I believe 5-7 years, but would be too expensive right now. In today's Journal it was mentioned that Mayor Franklin has met with AirTran and is pushing hard to get us to move back. Having corporate headquarters away from your main base of operations is costly in the long run. AA left NYC for Ft. Worth; Eastern left NYC for MIA; TW moved from Mt. Kisco to STL; CO from LAX to IAH, etc., etc. Even the almighty Delta left the cottonfields of Monroe to come to the big city!

 

[gr8slvrflt]

Actually, it was Stephen Kolski who was quoted about moving back to Atlanta. Here's the link:
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/ed...0e124200f7.html

Here's the link for today's article:

http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/business/...2/04hangar.html

Some of the rumors I am currently being "fed:" commuter service, Havana, National Airlines.

 

[rumorboy]

Havana is not a rumor. That came out Leonards mouth about 3 weeks ago in recurrent. WE even got our Jepp charts for Havana last week. As for National, is that rumor starting again?[🙂]

 

[gr8slvrflt]

Yeah, supposedly also outa Joe's mouth....National folks were coming to Orlando to talk. They better hurry!

 

[rumorboy]

[blockquote]
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On 9/4/2002 1:16:36 PM gr8slvrflt wrote:

Yeah, supposedly also outa Joe's mouth....National folks were coming to Orlando to talk. They better hurry!
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[/blockquote]
I should have been more direct. he said that he would LIKE to start service to Havana BUT the government has said no. But we will wait and see..

 

[rumorboy]

I don't know why we would have anything to do with National. There isn't anything they have that we couldn't get on our own. 757s? lots of those in the dessert. Gates? Can get those if we want. They fly out of the lowest yield market in the business. Thats why there in the trouble there in. Plus you have the 1000 pound gorrilla there. And you really don't want to mess with them!!

 

[N464AT]

I am so sorry, but many things have come out of the mouth of Mr Kolski. And with me, his credibility is very low. I have heard him say many things that are not true or just don't pan out. You will have to do better with your souurce. He is a master at playing both sides against each other. Maybe he was looking for some concessions from city of ATL for the hanger?