Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) today reported September passenger traffic for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air.
Alaska Airlines` September traffic increased 9.3 percent to 1.086 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 993.8 million flown a year earlier. Capacity during September was 1.705 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 7.9 percent higher than the 1.579 billion in September 2002.
The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 63.7 percent, compared to 62.9 percent in September 2002. The airline carried 1,144,700 passengers compared to 1,096,300 in September 2002.
RPMs for the nine-month period totaled 10.946 billion, a 9.2 percent increase from the 10.022 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the nine months ended September 2003 increased 6.9 percent to 15.611 billion ASMs, compared to 14.602 billion in 2002.
The passenger load factor for the first nine months of 2003 was 70.1 percent, compared to 68.6 percent in 2002. The airline carried 11,335,100 passengers compared to 10,787,000 in 2002.
Horizon Air`s September traffic increased 6.7 percent to 131.1 million RPMs from 122.9 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for September was 211.7 million ASMs, 5.3 percent higher than last year`s 201.0 million.
The passenger load factor for the month was 61.9 percent, compared to 61.1 percent last September. The airline carried 402,800 passengers compared to 399,200 in September 2002.
RPMs for the nine months ended September 2003 totaled 1.224 billion, an 8.5 percent increase from the 1.128 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the nine-month period increased 8.6 percent to 1.950 billion ASMs, compared to 1.795 billion in 2002.
The passenger load factor for the first nine months of 2003 and 2002 was 62.8 percent. The airline carried 3,671,300 passengers, compared to 3,620,800 in 2002.

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