Alaska Airlines Suspends Flights In and Out of Anchorage After New Mount Redoubt Eruption

Operations will resume when conditions permit; travelers advised to check status of flights at alaskaair.com or 800-ALASKAAIR

SEATTLE, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Airlines has suspended flights in and out of Anchorage, Alaska, for Monday following a volcanic eruption at Mount Redoubt that generated a continuous ash cloud. Weather reports indicate ash from the eruption at 9:44 a.m. Alaska time, which poses a significant risk to air travel, is moving northeast toward Anchorage.

As a safety precaution, all scheduled flights en route to Anchorage will be diverted to Fairbanks International Airport until further notice. Alaska Airlines will resume service in Anchorage, pending safe flying conditions.

Travelers are advised to check the status of their flights before going to the airport at alaskaair.com or by calling 1-800-ALASKAAIR (1-800-252-7522) or TTY/TDD at 1-800-392-0228. Specific information about flight changes related to the Mount Redoubt volcano is available at alaskaair.com.

“We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers, but their safety is always our highest priority,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines’ chief operating officer and executive vice president of operations. “We’re continuing to closely monitor the weather and ash from Mount Redoubt and will resume flights when it is safe to do so. We’re also making every effort to re-accommodate passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted.”

Since the volcanic eruptions began Sunday, March 22, Alaska Airlines has canceled more than 250 flights affecting more than 10,000 passengers.

Ticketed passengers who are affected by Mount Redoubt eruptions and scheduled for travel March 30 through March 31, 2009, will be allowed changes without penalty if their new travel is on or before April 7, 2009. A full refund will also be offered for any unused portion of the ticket.

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 (tie)” in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 North America Airline Satisfaction Study(SM). For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.