Alaska Air Group Reports April Traffic

Alaska Air Group, Inc. today reported April passenger traffic for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines (Alaska) and Horizon Air (Horizon).

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska’s April traffic increased 7.1 percent to 1.486 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.387 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity for April was 1.890 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 4.3 percent higher than the 1.812 billion in April 2005.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare-paying passengers) for the month was 78.6 percent, compared to 76.6 percent in April 2005. The airline carried 1,420,300 passengers, compared to 1,362,000 in April 2005.

RPMs for the four-month period totaled 5.567 billion, a 5.4 percent increase from the 5.284 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the four months ended April 2006 increased 3.4 percent to 7.428 billion ASMs, compared to 7.182 billion in 2005.

The passenger load factor for the first four months of 2006 was 74.9 percent, compared to 73.6 percent in 2005. The airline carried 5,324,800 passengers, compared to 5,213,400 in 2005.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon’s April traffic increased 18.4 percent to 221.8 million RPMs from 187.3 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for April was 294.5 million ASMs, 10.1 percent higher than the 267.6 million in April 2005.

The passenger load factor for the month was 75.3 percent, compared to 70 percent in April 2005. The airline carried 554,600 passengers, compared to 505,500 in April 2005.

RPMs for the four-month period totaled 842.0 million, a 15.8 percent increase from the 726.9 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the four months ended April 2006 increased 11.6 percent to 1.172 billion ASMs, compared to 1.050 billion in 2005.

The passenger load factor for the first four months of 2006 was 71.8 percent, compared to 69.2 percent in 2005. The airline carried 2,148,700 passengers, compared to 1,980,400 in 2005.

Horizon’s April 2006 RPMs, passenger load factor and passengers are reported using actual April operating data for flights operated as Horizon Air combined with estimated operating data for Horizon’s regional jet service operated as Frontier JetExpress.

Alaska Airlines and sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve 88 cities through an expansive network throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air newsroom at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com/.

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines