Southwest Sees $1 Billion Atlanta Revenue Gain on AirTran Merger

Southwest Airlines Co. expects to add as much as $1 billion in new annual revenue in Atlanta, home to the world’s busiest airport, as it revamps the hub acquired in the purchase of AirTran Holdings Inc.

Service will shift to focus on larger cities and more direct flights, because those customers are more profitable than passengers who make connections, Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said yesterday in an interview. Daily departures will fall about 13 percent to 175 as some smaller markets are cut, he said.