The route, which will enter service on March 6th, will be the only direct flight between the two cities.AirTran Airways senior vice president of marketing and planning Kevin Healy said the carrier is very excited to begin flights to one of the US's most popular holiday destinations.

We look forward to offering our low cost, high-quality product from central Iowa to our hometown of Orlando, he commented.A Boeing 717 aircraft will service the route, which is AirTran's 43rd in the US.It was also revealed that SkyWest Airlines, AirTran's marketing partner, will begin offering non stop flights to Milwaukee from Des Moines.

A spokesman from Des Moines International Airport said he hoped AirTran's expansion was just the beginning of their partnership.The airline recently estimated that approximately 600,000 people travelled on one of its flights during Thanksgiving week.