AirTran to stop flying to and from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Air travelers thinking about flying from Harrisburg International Airport to Orlando, Florida, may want to start planning their trip now.

AirTran Airways will cease operations at the Harrisburg-area airport come Aug. 12, Southwest Airlines, the parent company of AirTran, announced recently.

"The airline industry continues to face many challenges, including significantly higher fuel costs," said Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines executive vice president and CEO and AirTran president in a news release. "We must do everything we can to operate efficiently and profitably, align service with customer demand, and deliver the legendary customer service for which both airlines are known."

AirTran offers one daily nonstop flight out of Harrisburg. The destination for that flight is Orlando.

Harrisburg isn't the only airport losing AirTran services. The company will also put a halt to its flights to and from Allentown; Lexington, Ky.; Sarasota, Fla.; Huntsville, Ala.; and White Plains, N.Y., come August.

Air travelers with flight reservations, or passengers that plan to make reservations, to or from those airports don't need to alter plans for flights prior to Aug. 12.

http://www.yorkdispatch.com