Alaska Air Group Reports March Operational Results

4/4/2011 4:31 p.m.

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

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska reported a 19.3 percent increase in traffic on a 15.3 percent increase in capacity, resulting in a 2.9-point increase in load factor to a record 87.4 percent. Alaska also reported that 82.6 percent of its flights arrived on time in March, a 4.6-point decrease compared to the 87.2 percent reported in March 2010. March on-time results were negatively impacted by a computer system outage that disrupted operations on March 26.

The following table shows the operational results for March 2011 and year-to-date, compared to the prior-year periods:
 
   

2011

March

2010

 

Change

 

2011

Year-to-Date

2010

 

Change

Revenue passenger miles RPMs (in millions)  

1,967


1,650
 

19.3%

 

5,279

 

4,472

 

18.0%

Available seat miles
ASMs (in millions)

 

2,251

 

1,953

 

15.3%

 

6,353

 

5,541

 

14.6%

Passenger load factor

87.4%

84.5%

2.9pts

83.1%

80.7%

2.4pts

Revenue passengers (in thousands)

1,541

1,351

14.1%

4,107

3,641

12.8%

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

82.6%

 

87.2%

 

(4.6)pts

 

83.4%

 

86.4%

 

(3.0)pts

 

HORIZON AIR

Horizon reported a 0.1 percent decline in traffic on a 7.5 percent decline in capacity compared to March 2010, resulting in a 5.8-point increase in load factor to a record 79.1 percent. Horizon also reported that 80.2 percent of its flights arrived on time in March 2011, a 10.9-point decrease compared to the 91.1 percent reported in March 2010. Like Alaska, Horizon’s on-time performance results were negatively impacted by a computer system outage that disrupted operations on March 26.  

The following table shows the operational results for March 2011 and year-to-date, compared to the prior-year periods:

             
   

2011

March

2010

 

Change

 

2011

Year-to-Date

2010

 

Change

RPMs (in millions)  

204

 

204

 

(0.1)%

 

563

 

566

 

(0.5)%

ASMs (in millions)

 

258

 

278

 

(7.5)%

 

742

 

793

 

(6.5)%

Passenger load factor

79.1%

73.3%

5.8pts

75.9%

71.4%

4.5pts

Revenue passengers (in thousands)

595

566

5.2%

1,645

1,584

3.9%

On-time arrivals

80.2%

91.1%

(10.9)pts

77.0%

88.8%

(11.8)pts

             

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, 2009 and 2010 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.