ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), announced today that Alan Dreher has joined the company as director of corporate security, a newly created position. Reporting to Loral Blinde, senior vice president of human resources and administration, Dreher will oversee corporate security and compliance with all federal security regulations for AirTran Airways and will be based in Atlanta.

Dreher, a native of California, brings more than 30 years of law enforcement, intelligence and security experience to AirTran Airways. He most recently worked for the Atlanta Police Department where he served as assistant chief of police and was appointed by former mayor Shirley Franklin and Chief Richard Pennington. In this role, Dreher was responsible for managing the daily operations of the police department, including operations at the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He also established the department's first homeland security unit and served as the chairman of the city of Atlanta's Homeland Security Council. While with the department, Dreher also oversaw security and law enforcement operations for several high-profile events, including the NBA All-Star game, Coretta Scott-King's funeral and the SEC football championships.

"Alan's experience and connections with the law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security communities will serve AirTran Airways and our customers well," said Bob Fornaro, AirTran Airways' chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We are excited to add his skill set to our team."

Prior to joining the Atlanta Police Department in 2002, Dreher was the deputy chief and commander of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.,) where he managed the overall operation of the First District, including acting as a liaison with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and others. He was involved in the creations of the Metropolitan Area Joint Intelligence Center and was responsible for coordinating activities and intelligence sharing with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Dreher holds a master's degree in applied behavioral science from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from George Mason University.

AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI) and a Fortune 1000 company, has been ranked the number one low cost carrier in the Airline Quality Rating study for the past two years. AirTran is the only major airline with Wi-Fi on every flight and offers coast-to-coast service on North America's newest all-Boeing fleet. Its low-cost, high-quality product also includes assigned seating, Business Class and complimentary XM Satellite Radio on every flight. To book a flight, visit www.airtran.com.


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SOURCE AirTran Airways