ORLANDO, Fla. - AirTran Airways says it will expand service at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee by offering nonstop flights to eight cities.

AirTran says it will add nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale. It also will expand service to Atlanta, Baltimore, Las Vegas, New York and three other cities in Florida - Ft. Myers, Orlando and Tampa.

The announcement comes days after Midwest Airlines announced it
was cutting service to several of those cities. Orlando-based AirTran Holdings Inc. tried to take over Midwest last year, but the Milwaukee-based airline instead agreed to a deal with private equity firm TPG Capital.

That sale closed in January. Midwest has struggled since then and said last week it would eliminate about 1,200 people or 40 percent of its workers.