The airline said there were not enough business travelers flying out of Toledo to make the routes profitable. Its last flight will be April 28.
"We're disappointed to say the least," said airport spokesman Brian Schwartz.
AirTran accounted for about 20 percent of all 52,000 passengers that flew in and out of Toledo in February, he said.
The airline had warned city leaders eight months ago that it was considering the move. It began flying out of Toledo in October 2000.
"We gave it much more than a year, but we just couldn't make it work," said AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson. "We weren't making any money."
The Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce last fall began asking companies to pledge part of their business travel to AirTran but fell short of its goal.
The chamber was trying to set up a "travel bank" that would generate $2 million in travel commitments from businesses.
The airline had said it wanted to get about 5 percent of the business travel market.
One reason business travelers were reluctant to fly out of Toledo Express Airport was the limited number of direct flights it offers.
The airport has direct flights to just five cities -- Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit and Pittsburgh -- while there are nonstop flights to more than 130 cities from Detroit, an hour's drive away.
The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, which runs the airport, spent nearly $100,000 helping promote the airline, Schwartz said.
"The Port Authority went above and beyond in helping AirTran to be successful," he said.
The Orlando Fla.-based airline was popular with leisure travelers because of its lower fares. Other carriers in Toledo were forced to match AirTran prices.
Toledo airport officials said fares could increase once AirTran pulls out.
The airline, the former ValuJet, flies to about 35 cities around the country. Its largest hub is at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/3/197085