Alaska Air Group Reports October Traffic

11/3/2009 3:36 p.m.

ALASKA AIR GROUP REPORTS OCTOBER TRAFFIC

SEATTLE — Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) today reported October operational results for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines (Alaska) and Horizon Air (Horizon).

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska reported an increase in load factor to 77.0 percent in October 2009, compared to 73.6 percent in October 2008, on a 1.6 percent decline in available seat miles (ASMs) compared to the prior-year period. Alaska also reported that 85.8 percent of its flights arrived on time in October 2009, a 1.4-point increase compared to the 84.4 percent reported in October 2008. The following tables show the operational results for October 2009 and for the first ten months of 2009, compared to the prior-year periods:

   

2009

October

2008

 

Change

 

2009

Year-to-Date

2008

 

Change

Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) (000,000)  

1,459


1,417
 

3.0%

 

15,271

 

15,827

 

(3.5)%

Available seat miles
(ASMs) (000,000)

 

1,894

 

1,924

 

(1.6)%

 

19,363

 

20,553

 

(5.8)%

Passenger load factor

77.0%

73.6%

3.4pts

78.9%

77.0%

1.9pts

Revenue passengers (000)

1,230

1,270

(3.2)%

13,026

14,308

(9.0)%

On-time arrivals as reported to U.S. DOT  

85.8%

 

84.4%

 

1.4pts

 

82.3%

 

79.8%

 

2.5pts


HORIZON AIR

Horizon reported an increase in load factor to 73.4 percent in October 2009, compared to 71.1 percent in October 2008. Horizon reported that 87.1 percent of its flights arrived on time in October 2009, a 2.3-point decrease compared to the 89.4 percent reported in October 2008. The following tables show the operational results for October 2009 and for the first ten months of 2009, compared to the prior-year periods:

             
   

2009

October

2008

 

Change

 

2009

Year-to-Date

2008

 

Change

RPMs (000,000)  

203

 

197

 

3.2%

 

2,003

 

2,271

 

(11.8)%

ASMs (000,000)

 

277

 

277

 

0.0%

 

2,747

 

3,109

 

(11.6)%

Passenger load factor

73.4%

71.1%

2.3pts

72.9%

73.1%

(0.2)pts

Revenue passengers (000)

570

579

(1.5)%

5,625

6,333

(11.2)%

On-time arrivals

87.1%

89.4%

(2.3)pts

86.5%

85.5%

1.0pts

             


Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2009 North America Airline Satisfaction StudiesSM. For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.