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Southwest Airlines Co announced future flights to Aruba under the Southwest brand

Courtesy of: The Morning News

DENVER- Southwest Airlines Co said on Monday it will start flights to Aruba, the Bahamas and Jamaica in July, the first international flights under the Southwest brand.

The U.S. carrier currently offers flights to Mexico and the Caribbean through AirTran, which it acquired in 2011. The carrier has been revamping its reservations system so it can handle international bookings.

Southwest’s first flights to Aruba, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Nassau, Bahamas, will depart from Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington D.C. and Orlando.

By year’s end, all current AirTran international flights will be converted to Southwest, Chief Executive Gary Kelly told a media conference that was broadcast over the Internet.

“Southwest Airlines democratized the sky from our first flights more than four decades ago,” said Gary Kelly, president and chief executive of the airline. “Today’s milestone enables us to reach new territory, new customers, and build upon a four-decade foundation of doing right by the travelers who trust our value and our people.”