SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 22, 2001--The U.S. Department of Transportation today approved Alaska Airlines' (NYSE:ALK) application to launch daily service in September to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.

"This new route is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the people of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest," said John F. Kelly, Alaska Airlines' chairman and CEO. "The competition was fierce, but we put forth a very compelling case. We're truly excited about the opportunity to add this new coast to coast service, and I simply can't say enough about the way people inside and outside the airline rallied around our application. It was extremely gratifying."

Kelly credited the grassroots efforts of business, community and political leaders throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, as well as the thousands of letters of support received from customers and employees for the success of the airline's application to serve Reagan National.

"I first want to thank Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Patty Murray of Washington and Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee, and House Transportation Chairman Don Young of Alaska for their tremendous support," Kelly said. "And heartfelt thanks go to Sen. Frank Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Maria Cantwell, Reps. Jennifer Dunn and Norm Dicks of Washington for their support and tireless efforts, as well as the entire congressional delegations of both states.

"I'd also like to sincerely thank Govs. Gary Locke of Washington and Tony Knowles of Alaska for their efforts at the state level, which were very appreciated," Kelly added.

The DOT's approval of the application awards one pair of highly coveted "beyond the perimeter" slots to Alaska Airlines. Only six pairs of the slots are available at Reagan National and are reserved for non-stop flights of more than 1,250 miles. Each pair consists of one take off and one landing daily.

Alaska plans to begin once-daily roundtrip service in mid-September using 172-seat Boeing 737-900 aircraft.

No other carrier offers either nonstop service from Seattle or same plane, one-stop service from Anchorage to Reagan National. Alaska was one of nine carriers competing for the slots that became available when American Airlines received federal approval to take over TWA. TWA has been using the slots to fly nonstop between D.C. and Los Angeles, but under federal law, American Airlines was not allowed to automatically inherit the slots.

While the route would be a departure from the airline's traditional north-south network, it builds upon its strength at its largest hub, Seattle, where loads will be bolstered by connecting traffic from elsewhere in the Alaska and Horizon system.

In addition, the new service, combined with existing one-stop and connecting service offered by Alaska's codeshare partners American and Northwest, gives customers more choices when it comes to selecting flights between Seattle and Reagan National throughout the day.

For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom on the Internet at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com.

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