SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 2001--Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) today reported May passenger traffic for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines' May traffic increased 6.8 percent to 1.059 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 992 million flown a year earlier. Capacity during May was 1.547 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 10.5 percent higher than the 1.400 billion in May 2000.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 68.5 percent, down from 70.8 percent in May 2000. The airline carried 1,195,500 passengers compared to 1,130,100 in May 2000.

RPMs for the five-month period totaled 5.009 billion, a 4.5 percent increase from the 4.791 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the five months ended May 2001 increased 6.5 percent to

• 7.489 billion ASMs, up from 7.033 billion in 2000. The passenger load factor for the first five months of 2001 was

• 66.9 percent, down from 68.1 percent in 2000. The airline carried 5,573,400 passengers compared to 5,398,300 in 2000. Horizon Air

Horizon Air's May traffic increased 2.0 percent to 120.4 million RPMs from 118.0 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for May was 194.6 million ASMs, 0.8 percent lower than last year's 196.3 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 61.9 percent, compared to 60.1 percent last May. The airline carried 420,600 passengers compared to 426,600 in May 2000.

RPMs for the five-month period totaled 567.4 million, a 1.8 percent increase from the 557.3 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the five months ended May 2001 decreased 1.0 percent to 925.6 million ASMs, down from 935.1 million in 2000.

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

• 61.3 percent, up from 59.6 percent in 2000. The airline carried 1,990,800 passengers, compared to 2,014,700 in 2000.

--30--APS/se*

CONTACT:	Alaska Airlines
	Jack Evans, 206/433-3134