ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) - It is a blow to hopes of expanded air service into and out of Atlantic City as AirTran announces it will cease service there in early January.

There was a lot of anticipation when Southwest acquired AirTran back in May that service might actually be expanded in Atlantic City. It didn’t quite work out that way. AirTran spokesman Christopher White says company officials didn’t make this decision lightly.

“It was an underperforming market for us and if you combine that with the current economic malaise that we’re in – very volatile and high fuel prices, which is our single biggest expense – we just weren’t able to continue serving Atlantic City,” said White.

The last flight to Atlanta is scheduled for January 6th. The move leaves Spirit Airlines as the lone commercial carrier with regular Atlantic City service.

Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio