Alaska Air Group Reports March Traffic

SEATTLE, April 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK) today reported March passenger traffic for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines (Alaska) and Horizon Air (Horizon).

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska's March traffic increased 0.5 percent to 1.532 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.525 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity during March was 1.994 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 2.3 percent higher than the 1.950 billion in March 2006.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare-paying passengers) for the month was 76.8 percent, compared to 78.2 percent in March 2006. The airline carried 1,448,200 passengers, compared to 1,456,800 in March 2006.

RPMs for the three-month period totaled 4.066 billion, a 0.3 percent decrease from the 4.080 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the three months ended March 2007 increased 2.8 percent to 5.694 billion ASMs, compared to 5.539 billion in 2006.

The passenger load factor for the first three months of 2007 was 71.4 percent, compared to 73.7 percent in 2006. The airline carried 3,862,500 passengers, compared to 3,904,500 in 2006.

HORIZON AIR

Horizon's March traffic decreased 0.3 percent to 233.6 million RPMs from 234.2 million flown a year earlier. Capacity during March was 329.0 million ASMs, 6.3 percent higher than the 309.6 million in March 2006.

The passenger load factor for the month was 71.0 percent, compared to 75.6 percent in March 2006. The airline carried 594,300 passengers, compared to 598,400 in March 2006.

RPMs for the three-month period totaled 627.1 million, a 1.1 percent increase from the 620.3 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the three months ended March 2007 increased 5.4 percent to 925.1 million ASMs, compared to 877.4 million in 2006.

The passenger load factor for the first three months of 2007 was 67.8 percent, compared to 70.7 percent in 2006. The airline carried 1,608,900 passengers, compared to 1,594,100 in 2006.

Horizon's RPMs, passenger load factor and passengers are reported using actual March operating data for flights operated as Horizon Air combined with estimated operating data for Horizon's regional jet service operated as Frontier JetExpress.

Alaska Airlines and sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve 90 cities through an expansive network throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.