Alaska Air Group Reports March Traffic

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

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska’s March traffic increased 10.0 percent to 1.464 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.330 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity for March was 1.880 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 1.9 percent higher than the 1.845 billion in March 2004.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare-paying passengers) for the month was 77.9 percent, compared to 72.1 percent in March 2004. The airline carried 1,445,200 passengers compared to 1,336,300 in March 2004.

RPMs for the three-month period totaled 3.897 billion, an 8.9 percent increase from the 3.580 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the three months ended March 2005 increased 3.7 percent to 5.370 billion ASMs, compared to 5.178 billion in 2004.

The passenger load factor for the first three months of 2005 was 72.6 percent, compared to 69.1 percent in 2004. The airline carried 3,851,400 passengers compared to 3,591,800 in 2004.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon’s March traffic increased 15.4 percent to 204.8 million RPMs from 177.5 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for March was 280.0 million ASMs, 5.5 percent higher than 265.3 million in March 2004.

The passenger load factor for the month was 73.1 percent, compared to 66.9 percent in March 2004. The airline carried 550,600 passengers compared to 485,100 in March 2004.

RPMs for the three-month period totaled 539.0 million, a 19.8 percent increase from the 450.0 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the three months ended March 2005 increased 13.0 percent to 782.2 million ASMs compared to 692.1 million in 2004.

The passenger load factor for the first three months of 2005 was 68.9 percent, compared to 65.0 percent in 2004. The airline carried 1,473,784 passengers compared to 1,267,223 in 2004.

Horizon’s RPMs, passenger load factor and passengers are reported using actual March 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.