GRAND RAPIDS (AP) -- AirTran executives are expected to announce a deal bringing the discount airline to Grand Rapids' Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

The Thursday afternoon announcement of flights to Baltimore and Orlando, Fla., will be made at the airport's Amway Hangar. Service is expected to start in May.

Airport Director Jim Koslosky tells The Grand Rapids Press that efforts to lure AirTran to Grand Rapids have been going on for years.

The Orlando-based company's low costs enable it to keep ticket prices down and yet remain profitable.

Koslosky says it's hoped AirTran's entrance will push other airlines operating out of Grand Rapids to lower fares. The U.S. Transportation Department ranks the city's commercial air fares among the most expensive in the country.

(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)