The company on Wednesday posted a profit of $17.1 million, or 11 cents a share, for the final quarter of 2009. That's compared to a loss of $121.6 million, or $1.03 a share, in the same period of 2008.
Revenue rose 1.5 percent to $598.4 million from $589.4 million.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting adjusted earnings of 3 cents a share on sales of $585.4 million.
For the year, AirTran's profit of $134.7 million was a record.
AirTran, based in Orlando, Fla., has low costs that allow it to cut ticket prices and still make money.
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