Alaska Air Group Reports August Traffic

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

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska's August traffic increased 7.9 percent to 1.655 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.534 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity during August was 2.091 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 5.1 percent higher than the 1.988 billion in August 2003.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 79.2 percent, compared to 77.1 percent in August 2003. The airline carried 1,655,900 passengers compared to 1,584,200 in August 2003.

RPMs for the eight-month period totaled 11.007 billion, an 11.6 percent increase from the 9.861 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the eight months ended August 2004 increased 7.9 percent to 15.005 billion ASMs, compared to 13.906 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first eight months of 2004 was 73.4 percent, compared to 70.9 percent in 2003. The airline carried 11,015,700 passengers compared to 10,190,400 in 2003.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon's August traffic increased 25.4 percent to 211.4 million RPMs from 168.6 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for August was 284.2 million ASMs, 16.1 percent higher than last year's 244.9 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 74.4 percent, compared to 68.8 percent last August. The airline carried 577,500 passengers compared to 490,500 in August 2003.

RPMs for the eight-month period totaled 1.410 billion, a 29.0 percent increase from the 1.093 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the eight months ended August 2004 increased 18.1 percent to 2.053 billion ASMs compared to 1.738 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first eight months of 2004 was 68.7 percent, compared to 62.9 percent in 2003. The airline carried 3,864,100 passengers, compared to 3,268,500 in 2003.

Horizon's RPMs, passenger load factor and passengers are reported using actual August operating data for flights operated as Horizon Air combined with estimated operating data for Horizon's regional jet service operated as Frontier JetExpress, which started in 2004.

SOURCE: Alaska Air Group, Inc.