A steadily improving economy and the continuing additions to the regional airline fleet are allowing both available seat miles (ASMs) and revenue passenger miles (RPMs) to continue to rise at significant rates for the regional carriers.

Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) [Nasdaq: ACAI], which had been experiencing rapid growth, was hit by slower than expected traffic growth for May and for the year-to-date compared with the same periods last year. This was primarily due to a decline in United Express flying. ACA also stopped delivery of regional jets (RJs) because of the uncertainty over its relationship with United [OTC BB:UALAQ]. However, traffic is expected to pick up as additional RJs are delivered this summer. United's increasingly likely emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections is expected to have a positive impact on its partners as it adds routes to the United Express network.

SkyWest [Nasdaq: SKYW] saw a strong increase in May traffic, which should continue following the recent announcement that its relationship with United is to be expanded. That agreement calls for acquisition of additional aircraft to include both RJs and turboprops. The recent announcement about regional service out of Dulles International Airport and Denver should be a big boost for both ACA and SkyWest.

US Airways [OTC BB: USALA.OB] also announced new routes for three of its carriers--Chautauqua, PSA and Mesa [Nasdaq: MESA]--which should boost those carriers' traffic figures. Mesa will also benefit from the improved financial position of US Airways and America West [NYSE:AWA] as a result of loans guarantees from the Air Transportation Stabilization Board, as well as security fee reimbursements of $198 million and $73 million, respectively.

Air Wisconsin
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	184,227	132,996	38.5%	805,511	603,489	33.5%
Available Seat Miles (000)	232,429	192,407	20.8%	1,097,799	888,063	3.6%
Passenger Load Factor	79.3%	69.1%	10.2 pts	73.4%	68.0%	5.4 pts
Passengers Enplaned	465,366	336,339	38.4%	2,209,708	1,692,524	30.6%

American Eagle (Includes PR-based Executive Airlines)
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	405,665	350,839	15.6%	1,826,279	1,605,239	13.8%
Available Seat Miles (000)	622,392	539,495	15.4%	3,001,688	2,633,592	14.0%
Passenger Load Factor	65.2%	65.0%	0.2 pts	60.8%	61.0%	-0.2 pts
Passengers Enplaned	1,248,137	1,193,604	4.6%	5,788,760	5,601,199	3.3%

 

 

 

Atlantic Coast Airlines
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	286,967	243,833	17.7%	1,303,7414	1,082,961	20.4%
Available Seat Miles (000)	381,999	363,361	5.1%	1,851,306	1,777,748	4.1%
Passenger Load Factor	75.1%	67.1%	8.0 pts	70.4%	60.9%	9.5 pts
Passengers Enplaned	729,013	605,603	20.4%	3,342,512	2,633,745	26.9%

 

 

 

Atlantic Southeast Airlines
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	348,591	282,388	23.4%	1,556,063	1,230,324	26.5%
Available Seat Miles (000)	506,954	417,677	21.4%	2,384,613	1,884,286	26.6%
Passenger Load Factor	68.8%	67.6%	1.2 pts	65.3%	65.3%	Unch.
Passengers Enplaned	809,662	714,959	13.2%	3,718,761	3,117,614	19.3%

 

 

 

Chicago Express
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	17,013	10,601	60.5%	79,640	49,515	60.8%
Available Seat Miles (000)	25,414	15,592	63.0%	128,268	75,164	70.7%
Passenger Load Factor	66.9%	68.0%	-1.1 pts	62.1%	65.9%	-3.8 pts
Passengers Enplaned	96,704	65,984	46.6%	435,828	312,304	45.3%

 

 

 

Comair
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	425,555	317,843	33.9%	1,838,534	1,382,323	33.0%
Available Seat Miles (000)	647,795	464,100	39.6%	2,948,357	2,153,683	36.9%
Passenger Load Factor	65.7%	73.0%	-7.3 pts	65.1%	72.0%	-6.9 pts

 

 

 

ExpressJet
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	486,351	343,964	41.4%	1,995,247	1,492,199	33.7%
Available Seat Miles (000)	695,246	523,893	32.7%	3,106,359	2,447,698	26.9%
Passenger Load Factor	70.0%	65.7%	4.3 pts	64.2%	61.0%	3.2 pts
Block Hours	48,735	42,684	14.2%	222,402	206,719	7.6%

 

 

 

Mesa
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	257,280	195,550	31.6%	1,068,894	814,961	31.2%
Available Seat Miles (000)	395,452	313,797	26.0%	1,763,224	1,437,772	22.6%
Passenger Load Factor	65.1%	62.3%	2.7 pts	60.6%	56.7%	3.9 pts
Passengers Enplaned	582,216	492,099	18.3%	2,458,301	2,099,216	17.1%

 

 

 

Mesaba
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	129,525	135,743	-4.6%	633,981	595,030	6.5%
Available Seat Miles (000)	239,300	232,149	3.1%	1,155,587	1,108,864	4.2%
Passenger Load Factor	54.1%	58.5%	-4.4 pts	54.9%	53.7%	1.2 pts
Passengers Enplaned	491,952	470,589	4.5%	2,166,896	2,054,581	5.5%

 

 

 

Skyway (Midwest Connect)
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	18,172	16,776	8.3%	82,508	72,001	14.6%
Available Seat Miles (000)	34,139	35,176	-2.9%	170,155	156,648	8.6%
Passenger Load Factor	53.3%	47.7%	5.6 pts	48.5%	46.0%	2.5 pts
Passengers Enplaned (O&D)	48,446	52,052	-6.9%	231,020	224,649	2.8%

 

 

 

SkyWest
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	335,105	244,078	37.3%	1,530,879	1,106,963	38.3%
Available Seat Miles (000)	464,068	360,556	28.7%	2,215,670	1,672,807	32.5%
Passenger Load Factor	72.2%	67.7%	4.5 pts	69.1%	66.2%	2.9 pts
Passengers Enplaned	860,751	695,313	23.8%	3,907,052	3,222,544	21.2%

US Airways Express (Allegheny, Piedmont and PSA)
May Traffic	2003	2002	Change	YTD 2003	YTD 2002	Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	113,113	146,201	-22.6%	513,396	613,783	-164%
Available Seat Miles (000)	208,506	260,372	-19.9%	1,011,082	1,186,528	-4.8%
Passenger Load Factor	54.2%	56.2%	-1.9 pts	50.8%	51.7%	-0.9 pts
Passengers Enplaned	518,465	645,431	-19.7%	2,321,236	2,762,063	-16.0%