AirTran Airways began nonstop service between Lexington, KY, and Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando on February 11, 2010. After Southwest acquired Airtran in 2011, the Dallas-based airline decided to fly only Airtran's Boeing 737 fleet to avoid having to train crews on the 717.
Boeing 717-200 N927AT (s/n #55077) taxis to the terminal at Blue Grass Airport after arriving from Orlando on October 30, 2011. The aircraft seats 117 people and was the last aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas before it was acquired by Boeing in 1997.
Boeing 737-700 N313AT (s/n 33927) taxis to the main runway filled to capacity with University of Kentucky basketball fans bound for New Orleans in March 2012 to cheer the Wildcats on to the NCAA National Championship at the Superdome.
N717JL (s/n 55042) does the honors on Flight 1251 to Orlando with Kentuckians heading to Disney World after taking off from Runway 22 on March 28, 2012. This 717-200 is owned by Wells Fargo.
This really is the final approach of scheduled Airtran service to Blue Grass Airport, Flight 1894 from Orlando on the partly cloudy Saturday afternoon of August 11, 2012.
The wind sock tells you there is no breeze this afternoon as the pilot prepares to touch the nose wheel down in Lexington for the final time.
N936AT (s/n 55058) was built in 1999 and is also owned by Wells Fargo Bank in Salt Lake City. The crew turns off Runway 22 onto Taxiway Alpha, then Charlie, to the terminal.
After about 45 minutes at the terminal, Airtran Flight 567 taxis out to Runway 22 in Lexington for the final time as an Airtran flight.
Up and away to Orlando for the last flight from Blue Grass Airport in Airtran colors!
As Airtran Flight 567 climbs out from Lexington, it's not all sad news. Delta Air Lines has leased 88 of the 717 aircraft from Southwest as the Atlanta-based airline plans to retire smaller 50-seat regional jets and close its Comair division. So these 717s will likely make frequent appearances again in Lexington since Delta is the predominant carrier at Blue Grass Airport.
