AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), reported all-time record traffic during the three-month period that ended Sept. 30 with revenue passenger miles (RPMs), available seat miles (ASMs), enplaned passengers and load factors setting all-time highs.
ORLANDO, Fla., – Third-quarter traffic grew by 32.3 percent to more than 4.8 billion RPMs based on a 20.9 percent increase in capacity. The company’s load factor for the quarter was 80.1 percent – a 6.9 percentage point increase over the same period last year. The airline enplaned more than 6.4 million passengers during the third quarter, a 25.4 percent increase over the same period in 2006.
„We are very pleased with our record-breaking, third-quarter traffic and proud of all of our hard-working Crew Members and the high-quality service they provide for our customers every day,“ said Bob Fornaro, AirTran Airways‘ president and chief operating officer. „The third quarter is the busiest time of year for travel, and our Crew Members met the challenge with peak effort and operational performance.“
For the month of September, AirTran Airways set new records for RPMs, ASMs and enplaned passengers. Other September highlights included the announcement of additional nonstop service between Pittsburgh and Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa and more nonstop service between Tampa and Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit.
AirTran Airways September 2007 Traffic (Preliminary) September 2007 September 2006 Change Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 1,256,571 949,919 32.3 percent Available Seat Miles (000) 1,833,682 1,537,515 19.3 percent Load Factor 68.5 percent 61.8 percent 6.7 points Passengers Enplaned 1,731,123 1,380,950 25.4 percent Third Quarter Third Quarter 2007 2006 Change Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 4,808,682 3,635,238 32.3 percent Available Seat Miles (000) 6,005,231 4,965,224 20.9 percent Load Factor 80.1 percent 73.2 percent 6.9 points Passengers Enplaned 6,442,786 5,137,151 25.4 percent Y-T-D 2007 Y-T-D 2006 Change Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 12,984,173 10,398,268 24.9 percent Available Seat Miles (000) 16,960,337 14,026,038 20.9 percent Load Factor 76.6 percent 74.1 percent 2.5 points Passengers Enplaned 17,845,917 15,033,987 18.7 percent
AirTran Airways, a Fortune 1000 company, offers more than 700 affordable, daily flights to 55 U.S. destinations. With 8,900 friendly Crew Members and America’s youngest all-Boeing fleet, AirTran Airways provides XM Satellite Radio and Business Class seating on every flight. For more information and free online booking, visit http://www.airtran.com.
Editor’s note: Statements regarding the Company’s operational and financial success, business model, expectation about future success, improved operational performance and our ability to maintain or improve our low costs are forward-looking statements and are not historical facts. Instead, they are estimates or projections involving numerous risks or uncertainties, including but not limited to, consumer demand and acceptance of services offered by the Company, the Company’s ability to maintain current cost levels, fare levels and actions by competitors, regulatory matters and general economic conditions. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including but not limited to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2006. The Company disclaims any obligation or duty to update or correct any of its forward-looking statements.