Airtran Airways reported today that it will recall to flight duty all of the pilots it has remaining on furlough. AirTran also announced today that passenger traffic has increased 2.3 percent in January, while its load factor has jumped 5.8 percent.
Last September AirTran furloughed 169 pilots and 300 Flight Attendants after slashing its flights by 4 to 7 percent. The cuts were in response to skyrocketing oil prices. In addition to recalling its pilots, AirTran said that it will also recall all 300 furloughed Flight Attendants. AirTran reported that it will need to hire 120 new Flight Attendants to cover attrition, and that additional attendants may need to be hired if all the attendants currently on leave do not return.
The carrier also hired about a dozen mechanics.
