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 4.2 percent to 1.525 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.464 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity for March was 1.950 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 3.7 percent higher than the 1.880 billion in March 2005.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare-paying passengers) for the month was 78.2 percent, compared to 77.9 percent in March 2005. The airline carried 1,456,800 passengers, compared to 1,445,200 in March 2005.

RPMs for the three-month period totaled 4.080 billion, a 4.7 percent increase from the 3.897 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the three months ended March 2006 increased 3.2 percent to 5.539 billion ASMs, compared to 5.370 billion in 2005.

The passenger load factor for the first three months of 2006 was 73.7 percent, compared to 72.6 percent in 2005. The airline carried 3,904,500 passengers, compared to 3,851,300 in 2005.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon’s March traffic increased 14.1 percent to 234.3 million RPMs from 205.4 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for March was 309.6 million ASMs, 10.6 percent higher than the 280 million in March 2005.

The passenger load factor for the month was 75.7 percent, compared to 73.4 percent in March 2005. The airline carried 598,600 passengers, compared to 551,800 in March 2005.

RPMs for the three-month period totaled 620.4 million, a 15.0 percent increase from the 539.6 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the three months ended March 2006 increased 12.2 percent to 877.4 million ASMs, compared to 782.1 million in 2005.

The passenger load factor for the first three months of 2006 was 70.7 percent, compared to 69.0 percent in 2005. The airline carried 1,594,300 passengers, compared to 1,474,900 in 2005.

Horizon’s March 2006 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.

Alaska Airlines and sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve 88 cities through an expansive network throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air newsroom at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com/ .

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines