Alaska Air Group Reports September Traffic

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

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska’s September traffic increased 14.9 percent to 1.248 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.086 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity during September was 1.819 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 6.7 percent higher than the 1.705 billion in September 2003.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 68.6 percent, compared to 63.7 percent in September 2003. The airline carried 1,280,600 passengers compared to 1,144,700 in September 2003.

RPMs for the nine-month period totaled 12.255 billion, a 12.0 percent increase from the 10.946 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the nine months ended September 2004 increased 7.8 percent to 16.825 billion ASMs, compared to 15.611 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first nine months of 2004 was 72.8 percent, compared to 70.1 percent in 2003. The airline carried 12,296,300 passengers compared to 11,335,100 in 2003.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon’s September traffic increased 34.6 percent to 176.5 million RPMs from 131.1 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for September was 261.0 million ASMs, 23.3 percent higher than last year’s 211.7 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 67.6 percent, compared to 61.9 percent last September. The airline carried 499,700 passengers compared to 402,800 in September 2003.

RPMs for the nine-month period totaled 1.586 billion, a 29.6 percent increase from the 1.224 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the nine months ended September 2004 increased 18.7 percent to 2.314 billion ASMs compared to 1.950 billion in 2003.

The passenger load factor for the first nine months of 2004 was 68.5 percent, compared to 62.8 percent in 2003. The airline carried 4,362,500 passengers, compared to 3,671,300 in 2003.

Horizon’s RPMs, passenger load factor and passengers are reported using actual September 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 Air Group, Inc