Alaska Air Group Reports May Traffic

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

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska’s May traffic increased 6 percent to 1.387 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.308 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity for May was 1.805 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 3.3 percent lower than the 1.866 billion in May 2004.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare-paying passengers) for the month was 76.8 percent, compared to 70.1 percent in May 2004. The airline carried 1,361,100 passengers compared to 1,310,700 in May 2004.

RPMs for the five-month period totaled 6.671 billion, an 8.2 percent increase from the 6.164 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the five months ended May 2005 increased 1.8 percent to 8.987 billion ASMs, compared to 8.829 billion in 2004.

The passenger load factor for the first five months of 2005 was 74.2 percent, compared to 69.8 percent in 2004. The airline carried 6,574,500 passengers compared to 6,193,100 in 2004.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon’s May traffic increased 22 percent to 210.8 million RPMs from 172.8 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for May was 291 million ASMs, 9.9 percent higher than the 264.8 million in May 2004.

The passenger load factor for the month was 72.4 percent, compared to 65.3 percent in May 2004. The airline carried 555,200 passengers compared to 472,100 in May 2004.

RPMs for the five-month period totaled 937.7 million, a 19.4 percent increase from the 785.5 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the five months ended May 2005 increased 10.7 percent to 1.341 billion ASMs compared to 1.211 billion in 2004.

The passenger load factor for the first five months of 2005 was 69.9 percent, compared to 64.9 percent in 2004. The airline carried 2,535,600 passengers, compared to 2,187,200 in 2004.

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