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).

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SOURCE Alaska Air Group Inc.