AirTran Airways and Milwaukee Brewers Unveil Brewers 1

MILWAUKEE, May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), and the Milwaukee Brewers today unveiled a custom plane painted with throwback Milwaukee Brewers logos and colors to honor the club's 40th anniversary and the airline's partnership with the team.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY05592 )

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100517/NY05592 )

Dubbed Brewers 1, this one-of-a-kind Boeing 717 will become a fixture in AirTran Airways' national network of more than 70 destinations. This unique livery will be seen by millions of travelers around the country.

"We're proud to debut Brewers 1 in Milwaukee today," said Bob Fornaro, AirTran Airways' chairman, president and chief executive officer. "AirTran Airways greatly values our partnership with the Brewers and we can think of no better way of displaying that pride than on the side of one of our planes."

Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers, mascot Bernie Brewer and team executives were among the VIP guests aboard the aircraft as it made its debut at General Mitchell International Airport after being marshaled in by the Klement's Famous Racing Sausages.

"AirTran Airways has been a tremendous partner and we are thrilled to have our logos flying side-by-side on this terrific airplane," said Rick Schlesinger, Milwaukee Brewers' executive vice president, business operations. "We are looking forward to Brewers 1 representing our organization as it takes off into action."

Kids from the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee pulled the 120,000 lb. aircraft 20 feet at the premiere event to earn $50,000 for their summer sports program.

"Thanks to AirTran Airways, the children of our community have been able to show just how strong they can be," said Bob Yamachika, YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee's president and chief executive officer. "AirTran Airways and the Milwaukee Brewers are both first-class organizations and we are grateful to them both for their long-term commitment to the youth of our community."

Brewers 1 is the fifth in a series of custom-painted AirTran aircraft and the first affiliated with a Major League Baseball team. In 2009, AirTran Airways unveiled Falcons 1 in Atlanta, Ravens 1 in Baltimore, Colts 1 in Indianapolis and Magic 1 in Orlando to honor the airline's partnerships with these professional sports teams.

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

SOURCE AirTran Airways