Alaska Air Group Reports December Traffic

Alaska Air Group, Inc. today reported December passenger traffic for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines (Alaska) and Horizon Air (Horizon). ALASKA AIRLINES Alaska's December traffic increased 8.6...

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

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska’s December traffic increased 8.6 percent to 1.413 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.301 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity during December was 1.860 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 4.2 percent higher than the 1.785 billion in December 2003.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 76.0 percent, compared to 72.9 percent in December 2003. The airline carried 1,407,300 passengers compared to 1,317,000 in December 2003.

RPMs for the twelve-month period totaled 16.231 billion, an 11.5 percent increase from the 14.554 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the twelve months ended December 2004 increased 7.1 percent to 22.277 billion ASMs, compared to 20.804 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the twelve months of 2004 was 72.9 percent, compared to 70.0 percent in 2003. The airline carried 16,294,600 passengers compared to 15,046,900 in 2003.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon’s December traffic increased 40.5 percent to 201.0 million RPMs from 143.1 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for December was 270.5 million ASMs, 30.2 percent higher than last year’s 207.8 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 74.3 percent, compared to 68.9 percent in December 2003. The airline carried 548,200 passengers compared to 430,900 in December 2003.

RPMs for the twelve-month period totaled 2.155 billion, a 31.4 percent increase from the 1.640 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the twelve months ended December 2004 increased 20.9 percent to 3.107 billion ASMs compared to 2.569 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the twelve months of 2004 was 69.4 percent, compared to 63.9 percent in 2003. The airline carried 5,932,200 passengers, compared to 4,934,200 in 2003.

Horizon’s RPMs, passenger load factor and passengers are reported using actual December 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 Airlines

CONTACT: Caroline Boren, +1-206-392-5799, or Sam Sperry,
+1-206-392-5038, both of Alaska Air Group, Inc.