Expect more flights heading out of Memphis International this summer.  AirTran which is owned by Southwest Airlines just announced plans to increase its routes in and out of Memphis.

The airline says starting Aug. 11, 2013, passengers will be able to fly to Chicago, Orlando, and Baltimore from the Bluff City.  There will be two daily flights between Memphis and Chicago. 

"We are very excited that Southwest has decided to add three new city pairs for Memphis to fly under its AirTran subsidiary. Many years of relationship building with Southwest are paying off," said Larry Cox, President and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority. "This service addition reinforces the message given to Memphians last September by Southwest Executive Vice President Ron Ricks when he stated 'We're here. We're here to stay ... You've got to be patient with us, and things will not happen overnight.'"

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"We are excited and grateful that Southwest Airlines has decided to include MEM in their network. This news is a home run for travelers in our region hungry for affordable flight options," added recently elected Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Chairman Jack Sammons. "Southwest management has informed me that they will add additional flights this year based on how well these initial flights perform. As one SWA exec remarked in our meeting last week, 'The more flights we take, the more we get.' It's a new era in aviation in America and certainly a new era for our airport. Your Airport Authority will continue to be relentless in our efforts to make MEM the airport of choice for the traveling public."

AirTran Airways, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co., offers coast-to-coast and near-international service with close to 600 flights a day to 54 destinations. Customers of both carriers may book flights at airtran.com.