EXHIBIT 99.1
Press Release
Pinnacle Airlines releases December Traffic
MEMPHIS TENN. (JANUARY 9TH, 2006) Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., a wholly owned
subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (NASDAQ: PNCL), released its passenger and
traffic levels for December 2005 today.
For December, Pinnacle flew 462.9 million Available Seat Miles ("ASMs"), an
increase of 11.0% over December 2004 levels. Revenue Passenger Miles ("RPMs")
expanded 29.1% to 346.0 million. Passenger Load Factor was 74.7%, an increase of
10.4 points over December 2004 levels. Pinnacle transported 699,250 Customers
during the month, 27.1% more than the same period last year.
Also for the month, Pinnacle operated 36,179 block hours and completed 20,574
cycles, increases of 11.4% and 10.8%, respectively, over December 2004 levels.
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.
For the full year 2005, Pinnacle flew 5.7 billion ASMs, an increase of 35.9%
over 2004 levels. RPMs expanded 42.6% to 4.1 billion. Passenger Load Factor was
72.0%.
During the year, Pinnacle flew 8.1 million Customers, an increase of 27.8% over
2004 levels, setting a record for the Company.
DECEMBER TRAFFIC
2005 2004 CHANGE
ASMs (000) 462,923 416,899 11.0%
RPMs (000) 346,024 267,994 29.1%
Load Factor 74.7% 64.3% 10.4 pts
Passengers 699,250 550,107 27.1%
Block Hours 36,179 32,481 11.4%
Cycles 20,574 18,573 10.8%
FULL YEAR TRAFFIC TOTALS
2005 2004 CHANGE
ASMs (000) 5,732,773 4,219,078 35.9%
RPMs (000) 4,129,039 2,894,776 42.6%
Load Factor 72.0% 68.6% 3.4 pts
Passengers 8,104,918 6,339,766 27.8%
Block Hours 432,900 323,810 33.7%
Cycles 249,262 201,816 23.5%
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 124 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 3,450 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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