AirTran Airways Statement Regarding Flight 39

/PRNewswire/ -- AirTran Airways today issued the following statement regarding its flight 39 scheduled from Atlanta, Ga., to San Francisco, Calif.:

AirTran Airways flight 39, a Boeing 737-700 aircraft carrying 132 passengers and 5 crew members pushed back from the gate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 9:48 a.m. EST and departed at 10:36 a.m. EST headed to San Francisco International Airport with a scheduled arrival time of 12:40 p.m. PST.

During the flight, a male passenger, allegedly intoxicated, became disruptive and irate with a flight attendant. The passenger refused to follow flight crew instructions to take his seat and then proceeded to lock himself in the aft lavatory. The male passenger was traveling from Richmond, Virginia, to San Francisco, Calif., with a connection in Atlanta, Ga. Out of an abundance of caution, the captain elected to divert the aircraft to the nearest airport which was Colorado Springs Municipal Airport in Colorado Springs, Colo. The captain requested the local law enforcement officials meet the aircraft on arrival in Colorado Springs, Colo. The plane, escorted by two F-16 fighters dispatched under the direction of Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region (NORAD), landed safely in Colorado Springs, Colo., at 11:55 a.m. MST and taxied to a remote location of the airport where law enforcement officials detained the individual in question. The aircraft was then repositioned to a gate where it was searched by canine teams. The FBI is on the scene and is overseeing the law enforcement response. AirTran Airways is cooperating fully with the law enforcement officials.

Flight 39 has been cleared for departure to San Francisco and will continue the flight.

"It is an unfortunate and rare event when flight crew instructions are not followed. AirTran Airways fully supports our flight crew in performing their assigned duties, and we admire the professionalism the flight 39 crew showed in this case."

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Delta Air Lines Applauds Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Decision on Delta-Virgin Blue Group Joint Venture

/PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) today issued the following statement applauding a decision by the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to grant authorization to Delta and the Virgin Blue Airlines Group to enter into a joint venture on their flights between Australia and the United States.

"The ACCC's decision recognizes the increased competition and consumer benefits that Delta and the Virgin Blue Airlines Group will create by expanding their cooperation across the Pacific. Delta appreciates the ACCC's thorough review of the alliance and its finding that 'the joint venture is likely to enable the applicants to compete more vigorously and effectively against the established carriers on the route' and that it 'furthers the Government of Australia's key policy rationale in entering into an Open Skies Agreement with the United States.'

"Delta and V Australia are eager to move forward with their joint venture, and to bring new services to the market. We look forward to a similar decision from the U.S. Department of Transportation and urge the DOT to quickly conclude its review so consumers can begin to enjoy the important benefits of the alliance identified by the ACCC."

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