EXHIBIT 99.1
Press Release
Pinnacle Airlines releases July Traffic
MEMPHIS TENN. (AUGUST 3, 2005) Pinnacle Airlines, Corp. (NASDAQ: PNCL) released
its passenger and traffic levels for July 2005 today.
For July, Pinnacle flew 530.6 million Available Seat Miles (ASMs), an increase
of 41.1% over July 2004 levels. Revenue Passenger Miles (RPMs) expanded 43.6% to
414.9 million. Passenger Load Factor was 78.2%. Pinnacle transported 769,638
Customers during the month, 24% more than the same period last year.
During July, Pinnacle operated 39,581 block hours and completed 22,293 cycles,
increases of 37.7% and 24.1% over July 2004 levels, respectively. The term
"block hour" refers to the elapsed time between an aircraft leaving a gate and
arriving at a gate, and the term "cycle" refers to an aircraft's departure and
corresponding arrival.
Separately, Pinnacle accepted delivery of two new Canadair Regional Jets during
the calendar month of July bringing its total fleet to 139 CRJs on July 31,
2005.
JULY 2005 TRAFFIC
2005 2004 CHANGE
ASMs (000) 530,649 376,103 41.1%
RPMs (000) 414,862 288,875 43.6%
Load Factor 78.2% 76.8% 1.4 pts
Passengers 769,638 620,440 24.0%
Block Hours 39,581 28,736 37.7%
Cycles 22,293 17,970 24.1%
YEAR-TO-DATE TRAFFIC
2005 2004 CHANGE
ASMs (000) 3,301,630 2,183,750 51.2%
RPMs (000) 2,319,414 1,527,952 51.8%
Load Factor 70.3% 70.0% 0.3 pts
Passengers 4,549,173 3,467,647 31.2%
Block Hours 250,025 169,171 47.8%
Cycles 143,387 108,502 32.2%
Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., operates under the name Northwest Airlink and provides
service to destinations in the United States and Canada. Pinnacle operates an
all-jet fleet of Canadair 44 and 50-seat Regional Jets from Northwest hubs at
Detroit, Memphis and Minneapolis - St. Paul, and its two focus cities of
Milwaukee and Indianapolis. Pinnacle Airlines maintains its headquarters in
Memphis, Tenn., and employs approximately 3,600 People. For further information,
please contact Philip Reed, Vice-President, Marketing at 901-348-4257, or visit
our web-site at www.nwairlink.com.
This press release contains various forward-looking statements that are based on
management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by and information currently
available to management. Although the Company believes that the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable; it can give no
assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Such
statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions,
including those set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, which are available to investors at our web-site or on line from the
Commission. Should one of more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or
should underlying assumptions prove erroneous, actual results may vary
materially from results that were anticipated or projected. The Company does not
intend to update these forward-looking statements before its next required
filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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