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FL Gov. Crist Applauds AirTran Airways for Job-Creating Expansion in Orlando
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Press Release
July 27, 2010
Economic Development
ORLANDO – As part of his ongoing focus on growing Florida’s economy, Governor Charlie Crist today applauded AirTran Airways during an unveiling of the Orlando company’s new System Operations Control (SOC) Center. During the event, AirTran Airways Chairman, President and CEO Bob Fornaro also announced plans to open a pilot base in Orlando this fall.
“Today’s expansion is exciting news for the entire state, and I am grateful to AirTran for utilizing the talented aerospace and aviation community that exists in Florida,” said Governor Crist. “The Sunshine State is a global leader in air passenger transportation, and I look forward to greater economic successes and growth as a result of this job-creating expansion.”
The $6.9 million SOC was paid for by a combination of funds from the state of Florida, the city of Orlando, including the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, and AirTran Airways. The facility is hurricane hardened, built to withstand 150-mile-per-hour winds, contains redundant communications systems, scalability for future growth and features a backup generator capable of powering the facility indefinitely.
The new pilot base will employ 100 pilots of both the Boeing 717 and 737, support personnel and flight operations managers, including a chief pilot. Orlando will join Atlanta and Milwaukee as homes to AirTran Airways pilot bases.
“Today is a historic day for AirTran Airways. The opening of our new SOC and announcement of an Orlando pilot base are both significant signs of our plans to continue to grow here in our hometown,” said Fornaro. “We are fortunate to be part of the fabric of Central Florida and look forward to continuing to increase our presence here both today and well into the future.”
AirTran Airways employs more than 1,000 Crew Members in Central Florida at several facilities, including its corporate headquarters, the SOC and a maintenance facility, in addition to its passengers operations at the airport.
For more information about AirTran, go to www.airtran.com.
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