EXHIBIT 99.1
| Contact: | Elise Eberwein | |||
| 480/693-5729 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AMERICA WEST REPORTS RECORD APRIL TRAFFIC
PHOENIX, May 3, 2005 — America West Airlines (NYSE:AWA) today reported traffic statistics for the month of April and year-to-date 2005. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) for April 2005 were a record 2.1 billion, an increase of 7.3 percent from April 2004. Capacity for April 2005 was a record 2.5 billion available seat miles (ASMs), up 2.8 percent from April 2004. The passenger load factor for the month of April was a record at 81.7 percent versus 78.3 percent in April 2004.
“The strong unit revenue trends we experienced during the first quarter continued into April with a record April load factor, a small year-over-year increase in yield, and strong revenue per available seat mile (RASM),” remarked Scott Kirby, executive vice president, sales and marketing.
Commenting on the airline’s operational performance during April, Chief Operating Officer Jeff McClelland said, “We had an excellent operational month as well, completing 85.2 percent of our flights on-time during April. Because of our outstanding operational performance during the month, including reaching specific internal departure goals, each eligible employee will receive a $50 ‘Get on board 2005’ incentive check for the month’s performance.”
The following summarizes America West’s April and year-to-date traffic results for 2005 and 2004:
| April 2005 | April 2004 | % Change | ||||||||||||||
| Revenue Passenger Miles (000) | 2,064,062 | 1,923,234 | 7.3 | |||||||||||||
| Available Seat Miles (000) | 2,526,237 | 2,457,354 | 2.8 | |||||||||||||
| Load Factor (percent) | 81.7 | 78.3 | 3.4 | pts. | ||||||||||||
| Enplanements | 1,847,395 | 1,735,841 | 6.4 | |||||||||||||
| YTD 2005 | YTD 2004 | % Change | ||||||||||||||
| Revenue Passenger Miles (000) | 7,735,105 | 7,229,311 | 7.0 | |||||||||||||
| Available Seat Miles (000) | 9,827,398 | 9,809,083 | 0.2 | |||||||||||||
| Load Factor (percent) | 78.7 | 73.7 | 5.0 | pts. | ||||||||||||
| Enplanements | 7,019,558 | 6,633,390 | 5.8 | |||||||||||||
Also for April, the airline will report to the Department of Transportation that its domestic on-time performance was 85.2 percent and its completion factor was 99.4 percent.
For additional information regarding the airline’s current cost per available seat mile (CASM) guidance, fuel hedging positions, and estimated capital expenditures for 2005, please visit the investor relations update, which is located in the “About AWA” section of the airline’s Web site at www.americawest.com. The investor relations update page also includes current distribution percentages (information on the airline’s distribution channels) and fleet plan through 2007.
Approximately 60,000 customers upgrade their low-fare experience every day when they get on board America West. The airline’s 13,500 employees are proud to offer a range of services including more destinations than any other low-cost carrier, first-class cabins, assigned seating, airport clubs and an award-winning frequent flyer program. America West operates more than 900 flights daily to 95 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. This press release and additional information on America West can be accessed at www.americawest.com. (AWAT)
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause
America West’s actual results and financial position to differ materially from these statements.
These forward looking statements may be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,”
“estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict,” and similar terms used in
connection with statements regarding our outlook, expected fuel costs, the RASM environment, and
our expected 2005 financial performance. The risks and uncertainties relating to forward looking
statements include, but are not limited to, the duration and extent of the current soft economic
conditions; the impact of global instability including the continuing impact of the continued
military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and the
potential impact of future hostilities, terrorist attacks, infectious disease outbreaks or other
global events; limitations on our ability to obtain additional financing due to high levels of
debt and the financial and other covenants in our debt instruments; changes in federal and state
laws and regulations; changes in prevailing interest rates and the availability of and terms of
financing to fund our business; the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the
cyclical nature of the airline industry; competitive practices in the industry, including
significant fare restructuring activities by major airlines; the impact of changes in fuel
prices; relations with unionized employees generally and the impact and outcome of the labor
negotiations and other factors described from time to time in the company’s publicly available
SEC reports. We caution you that these risks may not be exhaustive. We operate in a continually
changing business environment, and new risks emerge from time to time. The company undertakes no
obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances
that may arise after the date of this press release.
-AWA-