AirTran Airways is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Dallas, Texas and is a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines. AirTran operates nearly 700 daily flights, primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States, with its principal hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where it operates nearly 200 daily departures. AirTran's fleet consists of Boeing 717 aircraft, of which it was the largest operator, and Boeing 737-700 aircraft.

On September 27, 2010, Southwest Airlines announced they would acquire AirTran Airways for a total cost of $1.4 billion. The acquisition would give Southwest a significant presence at many of AirTran’s hubs such as Atlanta (then the largest U.S. city without Southwest service), Milwaukee, and expanded service in Baltimore and Orlando. With the merger, Southwest adds international service to several leisure destinations such as Cancún, Montego Bay and Aruba.

Southwest will integrate AirTran's fleet of Boeing 737-700 series aircraft into Southwest Airlines brand and livery, and the Boeing 717 fleet will be leased out to Delta Air Lines starting mid-2013. The airlines plan to have the acquisition completed and finalized within the next two years; until then, the carriers will operate as separate airlines.

The deal closed on May 2, 2011 and a single operating certificate for the combined carrier was achieved March 1, 2012. Total integration of all employee groups between the two carriers is expected to be completed by 2015.

On February 14, 2013, Southwest Airlines announced that they had began merging AirTran's reservation system with Southwest, so that you could have a shared itinerary. They took the first step on January 26, 2013, by launching shared itineraries in five markets.

That phase was successful, therefore they're launching shared itineraries in 39 markets beginning February 25, 2013. Eventually, you'll be able to purchase Southwest and AirTran tickets in one transaction (Domestic and international). Southwest expects to completely integrate both reservation systems in April 2013. Southwest anticipates that the merger will be complete in late 2014.