AirTran Airways to Deploy Latest Life-Saving Technology to Treat Victims of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Business Editors/Travel Editors

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 16, 2001

Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to Help Increase the

Survival Rate From One of the Country's Leading Killers

AirTran Airways today announced that it will deploy automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), one of the country's leading medical emergencies and causes of death. AirTran Airways has purchased 70 Agilent Technologies Heartstream FR2 AEDs, which will be installed on its entire fleet within two years.

The devices will be located to allow for the timeliest response in the event of an emergency. AirTran Airways' inflight crewmembers will undergo a comprehensive training program to use the new devices.

The Heartstream AED will be used to apply defibrillation therapy, or an electrical charge to the heart, to SCA victims. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the U.S. survival rate from SCA is 5 percent, largely because life-saving defibrillation -- the definitive treatment for SCA -- does not reach victims in time. The deployment of AEDs will dramatically decrease the time it takes to reach victims.

"We have been working toward implementing this program for some time," said Jean-Pierre Dagon, AirTran Airways' Director of Corporate Safety. "The American Heart Association has said that each minute from the time of attack until defibrillation reduces a victim's chance of survival by 10 percent, making this essentially a race against time. By equipping AirTran Airways with defibrillators we will be able to significantly cut the time it takes to treat victims."

The Heartstream FR2 AED is a breakthrough in defibrillation technology that makes it practical for broad groups of emergency first responders (emergency medical technicians, fire-department personnel, police officers, security guards, flight attendants and other authorized first responders) to deliver time-critical defibrillation therapy to victims of SCA. The Heartstream AED is the only FDA-cleared AED with low-energy SMART Biphasic technology. It was designed specifically to make the implementation of early-response programs practical in communities, industrial settings, and other public and private facilities.

Systemwide, AirTran Airways operates 326 daily departures to 34 cities. Offering the convenience of easy, same concourse connections in Atlanta, AirTran Airways operates 144 daily departures from Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport.

AirTran Airways provides everyday, affordable air travel throughout the eastern United States and, unlike other airlines, never requires a roundtrip purchase or Saturday night stay. AirTran Airways is the launch customer for the Boeing 717, today's newest, most innovative and most environmentally friendly commercial aircraft. AirTran Airways is a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (AMEX:AAI).

For more information and reservations, visit AirTran Airways' Web site at www.airtran.com (America Online keyword: AirTran), call your travel agent or call AirTran Airways at 800-AIRTRAN (800/247-8726) or 770/994-8258 (in Atlanta).