Alaska Air Group Reports February Traffic

Alaska Air Group, Inc. today reported February passenger traffic for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines (Alaska) and Horizon Air (Horizon). Horizon's available seat miles (ASMs) are based on actual February operating data. Horizon's revenue passenger miles (RPMs), passenger load factor and number of passengers are estimated using actual February operating data combined with estimated operating data for Horizon's regional jet service operated as Frontier JetExpress.

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska's February traffic increased 14.7 percent to 1.123 billion RPMs from 980 million flown a year earlier. Capacity during February was 1.659 billion ASMs, 14.2 percent higher than the 1.453 billion in February 2003.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 67.7 percent, compared to 67.4 percent in February 2003. The airline carried 1,133,300 passengers compared to 1,021,400 in February 2003.

RPMs for the two-month period totaled 2.250 billion, a 13.1 percent increase from the 1.990 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the two months ended February 2004 increased 9.0 percent to 3.333 billion ASMs, compared to 3.058 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first two months of 2004 was 67.5 percent, compared to 65.1 percent in 2003. The airline carried 2,255,500 passengers compared to 2,070,400 in 2003.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon's February traffic increased 28.8 percent to 144.6 million RPMs from 112.3 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for February was 223.2 million ASMs, 17.4 percent higher than last year's 190.2 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 64.8 percent, compared to 59.1 percent last February. The airline carried 410,700 passengers compared to 343,400 in February 2003.

RPMs for the two-month period February 2004 totaled 272.7 million, a 19.8 percent increase from the 227.6 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the two months ended February 2004 increased 6.7 percent to 426.8 million ASMs compared to 399.9 million in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first two months of 2004 was 63.9 percent, compared to 56.9 percent in 2003. The airline carried 783,000 passengers, compared to 699,600 in 2003.

SOURCE: Alaska Air Group, Inc.