AirTran Files for Caribbean Routes from BWI

AirTran Airways has submitted applications with the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin flying to Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Aruba.

Pending approval, the airline plans to start service to the three destinations later this year and early in 2010 from several cities.

Orlando, Fla.-based AirTran (NYSE: AAI) wants service to Nassau and Montego Bay from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Atlanta and Orlando, Fla. Service to Aruba would come from Atlanta and Orlando.

“Adding our low-cost, high-quality service from some of our largest operations to some of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean is a win-win for consumers and for AirTran Airways,” said Kevin Healy, senior vice president, marketing and planning, in a statement. “There’s nothing quite like jetting off to a tropical island in the middle of winter, and we look forward to making that possible from some of the largest cities in our network.”