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 decreased 0.9 percent to 1.640 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.655 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity for August was 2.005 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 4.1 percent lower than the 2.091 billion in August 2004.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare-paying passengers) for the month was 81.8 percent, compared to 79.1 percent in August 2004. The airline carried 1,655,300 passengers, compared to 1,655,900 in August 2004.

RPMs for the eight-month period totaled 11.486 billion, a 4.4 percent increase from the 11.007 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the eight months ended August 2005 decreased 0.7 percent to 14.904 billion ASMs, compared to 15.006 billion in 2004.

The passenger load factor for the first eight months of 2005 was 77.1 percent, compared to 73.4 percent in 2004. The airline carried 11,372,100 passengers, compared to 11,015,700 in 2004.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon’s August traffic increased 11.9 percent to 236.3 million RPMs from 211.1 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for August was 310 million ASMs, 9.1 percent higher than the 284.2 million in August 2004.

The passenger load factor for the month was 76.2 percent, compared to 74.3 percent in August 2004. The airline carried 608,500 passengers, compared to 576,200 in August 2004.

RPMs for the eight-month period totaled 1.633 billion, a 15.9 percent increase from the 1.409 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the eight months ended August 2005 increased 9.7 percent to 2.251 billion ASMs, compared to 2.053 billion in 2004.

The passenger load factor for the first eight months of 2005 was 72.5 percent, compared to 68.6 percent in 2004. The airline carried 4,331,500 passengers, compared to 3,862,800 in 2004.

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.

SOURCE: Alaska Air Group, Inc.