Valujet to Merge, Drop Its Name.(Originated from The Miami Herald)

MIAMI--Jul. 11--ValuJet, the discount airline whose name was indelibly etched into South Florida's consciousness last year when one of its planes plunged into the Everglades, said Thursday it will merge with another carrier.

In a deal that will relegate the ValuJet name and "critter" logo to aviation's history books, the company will combine operations with Orlando-based AirWays Corp., creating a corporation called AirTran Holdings.

The merger combines two airlines that offer affordable fares to vacationers and small business travelers: AirTran Airways, a small, 3-year-old carrier that serves the leisure market into and out of Orlando, and Atlanta-based ValuJet, the low-price carrier that made its name ferrying passengers short distances to visit family and friends.

When the deal closes in three to four months, ValuJet will …