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's March traffic increased 15.4 percent to 1.330 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.153 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity during March was 1.845 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 11.8 percent higher than the 1.651 billion in March 2003.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 72.1 percent, compared to 69.9 percent in March 2003. The airline carried 1,336,300 passengers compared to 1,187,600 in March 2003.

RPMs for the three-month period totaled 3.580 billion, a 13.9 percent increase from the 3.143 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the three months ended March 2004 increased 10.0 percent to 5.178 billion ASMs, compared to 4.708 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first three months of 2004 was 69.1 percent, compared to 66.7 percent in 2003. The airline carried 3,591,800 passengers compared to 3,258,000 in 2003.

Horizon Air

Horizon's March traffic increased 36.8 percent to 177.7 million RPMs from 129.9 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for March was 265.3 million ASMs, 23.0 percent higher than last year's 215.7 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 67.0 percent, compared to 60.2 percent last March. The airline carried 485,900 passengers compared to 388,600 in March 2003.

RPMs for the three-month period totaled 450.3 million, a 26.0 percent increase from the 357.5 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the three months ended March 2004 increased 12.4 percent to 692.1 million ASMs compared to 615.6 million in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first three months of 2004 was 65.1 percent, compared to 58.1 percent in 2003. The airline carried 1,268,900 passengers, compared to 1,088,200 in 2003.

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 Airlines