America West Holdings Corporation (NYSE:
AWA) announced today the following senior management changes effective June 1:

*  Kevin Short, formerly vice president, revenue management for America
West Airlines, has been promoted to the newly created position of chief
operating officer of The Leisure Company, the leisure travel subsidiary of
America West Holdings.

*  Bernard Han, formerly vice president, financial planning and analysis,
has been promoted to senior vice president, planning.  In his new post, Han
will be responsible for revenue management, fleet planning, route and schedule
planning and alliances/partnerships.

*  Scott Kirby, vice president, planning, will succeed Kevin Short as vice
president, revenue management.

*  Derek Kerr, senior director, financial planning, has been promoted to
vice president, financial planning and analysis, succeeding Han.

  *  Andrew Nocella, senior director, schedule planning, will assume Kirby`s
prior responsibilities for schedule and route planning.

“These management changes are reflective of the strength of our management
team and support the Company`s business plan,” said William A. Franke,
chairman and chief executive officer.  “The five executives involved have
played key roles in the recent success at America West and are now positioned
to continue creating value as we grow both America West Airlines and The
Leisure Company.”

Kevin Short joined America West in August 1996.  Previously, he served
nine years at American Airlines in various management positions, lastly as
president of Fly AAway Vacations, the vacation-packaging division of American
Airlines.  Short earned a master`s in business administration from the
University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor of arts degree in business and
economics from Austin College.

Bernard Han joined America West in January 1996.  Prior to joining America
West, Han served for five years with Northwest Airlines in various financial
and revenue management positions and three years with American Airlines in
financial planning and analysis.  Han received a master`s in business
administration, a master`s in engineering and a bachelor of science degree,
all from Cornell University.

Scott Kirby joined America West in October 1995 as senior director,
schedules and planning and was promoted to vice president, planning in October
1997.  Prior to joining America West, Kirby served three years as an
operations research consultant for Sabre Decision Technologies, a subsidiary
of AMR Corp. and four years as an economist in the Under Secretary of Defense-
Program Acquisition and Evaluation Office at the Pentagon.  Kirby earned a
master of science degree in operations research from George Washington
University and bachelor`s degrees in computer science and operations research
from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Derek Kerr joined America West in April 1996 as senior director, financial
planning.  Previously, Kerr spent five years with Northwest Airlines in
various financial planning and analysis positions.  Kerr received a master of
business administration degree in finance and a bachelor of science degree in
aeronautical engineering, both from the University of Michigan.
 
Andrew Nocella joined America West in April 1997.  Previously, he spent
three years at Continental Airlines in schedule planning.  Nocella earned a
bachelor of science degree in decision science from George Mason University.
 
America West Holdings Corporation is an aviation and travel services
company with 1997 sales of $1.9 billion.  Wholly owned subsidiary America West
Airlines is the nation`s ninth largest airline serving more than 90
destinations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  The Leisure Company, also a
wholly owned subsidiary, is one of the nation`s largest tour packagers.
 
This press release, as well as releases issued in the past year by America
West Holdings and its affiliates, can be accessed on the America West Internet
site at http://www.americawest.com.

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