SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2001--Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) today reported April passenger traffic for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska Airlines' April traffic increased 7.1 percent to 1.054 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 985 million flown a year earlier. Capacity during April was 1.515 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 8.1 percent higher than the 1.401 billion in April 2000.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 69.6 percent, down from 70.3 percent in April 2000. The airline carried 1,179,900 passengers compared to 1,100,500 in April 2000.

RPMs for the four-month period totaled 3.949 billion, a 4.0 percent increase from the 3.799 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the four months ended April 2001 increased 5.5 percent to

• 5.943 billion ASMs, up from 5.633 billion in 2000. The passenger load factor for the first four months of 2001 was

• 66.5 percent, down from 67.4 percent in 2000. The airline carried 4,377,900 passengers compared to 4,268,200 in 2000. HORIZON AIR

Horizon Air's April traffic increased 1.1 percent to 111.3 million RPMs from 110.0 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for April was 187.7 million ASMs, up slightly from last year's 187.6 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 59.3 percent, compared to 58.7 percent last April. The airline carried 392,900 passengers compared to 397,600 in April 2000.

RPMs for the four-month period totaled 447.0 million, a 1.7 percent increase from the 439.3 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the four months ended April 2001 decreased 1.1 percent to 730.9 million ASMs, down from 738.8 million in 2000.

The passenger load factor for the first four months of 2001 was

• 61.2 percent, up from 59.5 percent in 2000. The airline carried 1,570,300 passengers, compared to 1,588,100 in 2000.

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CONTACT:	for Alaska Air Group, Inc.
	Jack Evans, 206/433-3134