SEATTLE, Sep 5, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) today reported August passenger traffic for its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air.

    ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska Airlines' August traffic increased 3.2 percent to 1.371 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) from 1.329 billion flown a year earlier. Capacity during August was 1.817 billion available seat miles (ASMs), 3.6 percent higher than the 1.754 billion in August 2001.

The passenger load factor (the percentage of available seats occupied by fare paying passengers) for the month was 75.5 percent, compared to 75.8 in August 2001. The airline carried 1,481,200 passengers compared to 1,504,500 in August 2001.

RPMs for the eight-month period totaled 9.029 billion, a 2.7 percent increase from the 8.795 billion recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the eight months ended August 2002 increased 3.2 percent to 13.023 billion ASMs, compared to 12.615 billion in 2001.

The passenger load factor for the first eight months of 2002 was 69.3 percent, compared to 69.7 percent in 2001. The airline carried 9,690,700 passengers compared to 9,837,200 in 2001.

    HORIZON AIR

Horizon Air's August traffic increased 10.3 percent to 157.2 million RPMs from 142.5 million flown a year earlier. Capacity for August was 230.9 million ASMs, 12.7 percent higher than last year's 204.9 million.

The passenger load factor for the month was 68.1 percent, compared to 69.5 percent last August. The airline carried 488,500 passengers compared to 480,800 in August 2001.

RPMs for the eight months ended August 2002 totaled 1.005 billion, a 3.6 percent increase from the 970.2 million recorded a year earlier. Capacity for the eight-month period increased 4.3 percent to 1.594 billion ASMs, compared to 1.528 billion in 2001.

The passenger load factor for the first eight months of 2002 was 63.0 percent, compared to 63.5 percent in 2001. The airline carried 3,221,500 passengers, compared to 3,360,700 in 2001.

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

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