May Traffic for Alaska Air Group

6/4/2003 8:22 a.m.

ALASKA AIR GROUP REPORTS MAY TRAFFIC

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

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska Airlines' May traffic increased 11.2 percent to 1.198 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.077 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity during May was 1.715 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 4.6 percent higher than the 1.640 billion in May 2002.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 69.9 percent, compared to 65.7 percent in May 2002. The airline carried 1,241,500 passengers compared to 1,168,200 in May 2002.

RPMs for the five-month period totaled 5.464 billion, a 6.4 percent increase from the 5.135 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the five months ended May 2003 increased 4.8 percent to 8.060 billion ASMs, compared to 7.693 billion in 2002.

The passenger load factor for the first five months of 2003 was 67.8 percent, compared to 66.7 percent in 2002. The airline carried 5,659,500 passengers compared to 5,511,200 in 2002.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon Air's May traffic increased 7.4 percent to 134.4 million RPMs from 125.2 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for May was 207.5 million ASMs, 0.7 percent lower than last year's 209.0 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 64.8 percent, compared to 59.9 percent in May 2002. The airline carried 404,000 passengers compared to 393,500 in May 2002.

RPMs for the five months ended May 2003 totaled 611.9 million, an 8.2 percent increase from the 565.5 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the five month period increased 10.2 percent to 1.027 billion ASMs, compared to 932.2 million in 2002.

The passenger load factor for the first five months of 2003 was 59.6 percent, compared to 60.7 percent in 2002. The airline carried 1,853,800 passengers, compared to 1,854,400 in 2002.