Today’s completed acquisition of AirTran by Southwest Airlines represents a unique opportunity for Southwest to extend its network into key markets the airline does not yet serve, such as Atlanta and Washington, D.C., via Ronald Reagan National Airport, said Gary Kelly, CEO, chairman and president of Southwest Airlines. Southwest said that the total transaction value of the purchase is $3.2 billion.

Passengers flying to St. Lucia now pay an extra $35 in roundtrip ticket costs, thanks to the new Airport Development Charge that took effect May 1.

LAN Airlines S.A., one of Latin America’s leading passenger and cargo airlines, announced its consolidated financial results for first quarter ended March 31, 2011. LAN makes reference to the consolidated entity, which includes passenger and cargo airlines in Latin America. All figures were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and are expressed in U.S. dollars.

Cruise operator Carnival Corp. (CCL) filed a lawsuit in a Louisiana court last week against several parties associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, seeking damages related to the massive oil spill last April that polluted the Gulf of Mexico.

Ambassadors International Inc. announced April 21 that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware approved the timeline for the proposed sale of Windstar Cruises and other assets. The sale is expected to close by May 23.

Grupo Aeromexico said that its initial public offer (IPO) through the Mexican Stock Exchange has been extremely successful. It was 100 percent primary offer. As previously announced, Aeromexico plans to use proceeds from the IPO to continue with the consolidation of its investment plan.