Alaska Air Group Reports October Traffic

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

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska’s October traffic increased 11.1 percent to 1.251 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.126 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity during October was 1.802 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 4.6 percent higher than the 1.722 billion in October 2003.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 69.4 percent, compared to 65.4 percent in October 2003. The airline carried 1,270,700 passengers compared to 1,183,300 in October 2003.

RPMs for the ten-month period totaled 13.506 billion, an 11.9 percent increase from the 12.072 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the ten months ended October 2004 increased 7.5 percent to 18.626 billion ASMs, compared to 17.333 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first ten months of 2004 was 72.5 percent, compared to 69.6 percent in 2003. The airline carried 13,567,100 passengers compared to 12,518,300 in 2003.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon’s October traffic increased 30.0 percent to 180.8 million RPMs from 139.0 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for October was 266.6 million ASMs, 26.5 percent higher than last year’s 210.8 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 67.8 percent, compared to 66.0 percent last October. The airline carried 512,300 passengers compared to 429,400 in October 2003.

RPMs for the ten-month period totaled 1.766 billion, a 29.6 percent increase from the 1.363 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the ten months ended October 2004 increased 19.4 percent to 2.580 billion ASMs compared to 2.160 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first ten months of 2004 was 68.5 percent, compared to 63.1 percent in 2003. The airline carried 4,874,800 passengers, compared to 4,100,700 in 2003.

Horizon’s RPMs, passenger load factor and passengers are reported using actual October operating data for flights operated as Horizon Air combined with estimated operating data for Horizon’s regional jet service operated as Frontier JetExpress, which started in 2004.

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines