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Alaska Air Group Reports December 2016 and Full-Year Operational Results

SEATTLE, Jan. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK) today reported December and full-year operational results on a combined basis, for its subsidiaries Alaska Airlines, Inc. (Alaska) and Virgin America Inc., (Virgin America), and for its regional flying operated by subsidiary Horizon Air Industries, Inc. and third-party regional carriers, SkyWest Airlines and PenAir (Regional). Detailed information is provided below.

Air Group's acquisition of Virgin America took place on Dec. 14, 2016. Operational results below include full period-to-date results from Virgin America for both the current period and the prior period for comparison.

AIR GROUP
On a combined basis, Air Group reported a 5.6 percent increase in traffic on a 5.0 percent increase in capacity compared to December 2015. Load factor increased 0.5 points to 83.1 percent. These statistics include flights operated by Alaska, Virgin America, Horizon, and those under third-party capacity purchase agreements.

The following table shows the operational results for December(1) and full-year 2016(1), compared to the prior-year periods(2):

December

Full Year

2016

2015

Change

2016

2015

Change

Revenue passengers (in thousands)

3,509

3,361

4.4%

41,945

38,919

7.8%

Revenue passenger miles RPM (in millions)

4,125

3,905

5.6%

48,754

44,014

10.8%

Available seat miles ASM (in millions)

4,962

4,726

5.0%

57,951

52,605

10.2%

Passenger load factor

83.1%

82.6%

0.5 pts

84.1%

83.7%

0.4 pts

(1)

2016 information includes full period-to-date Virgin America operating results.

(2)

2015 information has been adjusted to include Virgin America operating results for comparison purposes.

ALASKA AIRLINES
Alaska reported a 4.2 percent increase in traffic on a 2.5 percent increase in capacity compared to December 2015. Load factor increased 1.4 points to 85.0 percent. Alaska also reported 76.1 percent of its flights arrived on time in December, compared to the 85.3 percent reported in December 2015.

The following table shows Alaska's operational results for December and full-year 2016, compared to the prior-year periods:

December

Full Year

2016

2015

Change

2016

2015

Change

Revenue passengers (in thousands)

2,052

1,965

4.4%

24,421

22,869

6.8%

RPMs (in millions)

2,806

2,694

4.2%

32,859

30,340

8.3%

ASMs (in millions)

3,302

3,221

2.5%

38,715

35,912

7.8%

Passenger load factor

85.0%

83.6%

1.4 pts

84.9%

84.5%

0.4 pts

On-time arrivals as reported to U.S. DOT(1)

76.1%

85.3%

(9.2) pts

87.3%

86.4%

0.9 pts

 (1)

Winter storms in the Pacific Northwest caused the year-over-year decline in on-time performance in the month of December.

VIRGIN AMERICA
Virgin America traffic increased 9.0 percent on an 11.0 percent increase in capacity compared to December 2015. Load factor decreased (1.4) points to 79.2 percent. Virgin America also reported 70.2 percent of its flights arrived on time in December, compared to 71.1 percent in December 2015.

The following table shows Virgin America operational results for December and full-year 2016, compared to the prior-year periods:

December

Full Year

2016

2015

Change

2016

2015

Change

Revenue passengers (in thousands)

675

629

7.3%

8,073

7,036

14.7%

RPMs (in millions)

1,013

929

9.0%

12,175

10,436

16.7%

ASMs (in millions)

1,279

1,152

11.0%

14,575

12,691

14.8%

Passenger load factor

79.2%

80.6%

(1.4) pts

83.5%

82.2%

1.3 pts

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

70.2%

71.1%

(0.9) pts

76.8%

79.9%

(3.1) pts

REGIONAL FLYING
Regional traffic increased 8.5 percent on an 8.2 percent increase in capacity compared to December 2015. Load factor increased 0.2 points to 80.3 percent. Regional also reported 61.6 percent of its flights arrived on time in December, compared to the 68.8 percent reported in December 2015.

The following table shows regional operational results for December and full-year 2016, compared to the prior-year periods:

December

Full Year

2016

2015

Change

2016

2015

Change

Revenue passengers (in thousands)

782

767

2.0%

9,451

9,015

4.8%

RPMs (in millions)

306

282

8.5%

3,720

3,238

14.9%

ASMs (in millions)

381

352

8.2%

4,661

4,001

16.5%

Passenger load factor

80.3%

80.1%

0.2 pts

79.8%

80.9%

(1.1) pts

On-time arrivals(1)

61.6%

68.8%

(7.2) pts

85.2%

83.4%

1.8 pts

(1)

Winter storms in the Pacific Northwest caused the year-over-year decline in on-time performance in the month of December.

Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 40 million customers a year to 118 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners, customers can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

 

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-air-group-reports-december-2016-and-full-year-operational-results-300388236.html

SOURCE Alaska Air Group Inc.

Media Relations, (206) 304-0008, newsroom@alaskaair.com: or Investor contact: Lavanya Sareen, Managing Director of Investor Relations, (206) 392-5656