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US Airways Group, Inc. Reports April Traffic

   US Airways logo. (PRNewsFoto)
[AG TK]

    TEMPE, Ariz., May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways Group, Inc.
(NYSE: LCC) today reported April and year-to-date results for 2007. Revenue
passenger miles (RPMs) for the month were 5.5 billion, down 0.1 percent
from April 2006. Capacity was 6.6 billion available seat miles (ASMs), down
0.2 percent from April 2006. The passenger load factor for April was 82.2
percent versus 82.1 percent in April 2006.
    (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/LAW097LOGO )
    Said US Airways President Scott Kirby, "As we've seen from other
airlines, the passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) environment
has weakened from the rapid growth rate seen in 2006 leading to more
difficult year-over-year comparisons, particularly in the second quarter.
In addition, the month was impacted compared to last year due to the timing
of the Easter holiday. As a result, our consolidated (mainline and Express)
PRASM was down in April when compared to the same period last year."
    America West and US Airways report combined operational performance to
the Department of Transportation. For the month of April 2007, the combined
domestic on-time performance was 63.2 percent with a completion factor of
98.6 percent.
    The following summarizes US Airways Group's traffic results for April
2007 and 2006 consisting of America West and US Airways mainline operated
flights as well as US Airways Express operated flights consisting of wholly
owned subsidiaries PSA Airlines and Piedmont Airlines.
    Consolidated US Airways Group, Inc.


    APRIL

                                              2007        2006    % Change

    Consolidated Revenue Passenger
     Miles (000)
        Domestic                           4,546,237   4,541,116     0.1
        Atlantic                             498,125     475,517     4.8
        Latin                                408,238     440,408    (7.3)
        Total Consolidated Revenue
         Passenger Miles                   5,452,600   5,457,041    (0.1)

    Consolidated Available Seat
     Miles (000)
        Domestic                           5,492,052   5,511,637    (0.4)
        Atlantic                             629,449     567,876    10.8
        Latin                                513,063     567,368    (9.6)
        Total Consolidated Available Seat
         Miles                             6,634,564   6,646,881    (0.2)

    Consolidated Load Factor (%)
        Domestic                                82.8        82.4     0.4 pts
        Atlantic                                79.1        83.7    (4.6)pts
        Latin                                   79.6        77.6     2.0 pts
        Total Consolidated Load Factor          82.2        82.1     0.1 pts

    Consolidated Enplanements
        Domestic                           5,360,078   5,325,239     0.7
        Atlantic                             124,923     121,682     2.7
        Latin                                322,523     358,721   (10.1)
        Total Consolidated Enplanements    5,807,524   5,805,642     0.0


    YEAR TO DATE
                                              2007         2006    % Change

    Consolidated Revenue Passenger
     Miles (000)
        Domestic                           17,238,830   16,900,790    2.0
        Atlantic                            1,696,892    1,666,960    1.8
        Latin                               1,522,667    1,580,731   (3.7)
        Total Consolidated Revenue
         Passenger Miles                   20,458,389   20,148,481    1.5

    Consolidated Available Seat
     Miles (000)
        Domestic                           21,661,024   21,612,691    0.2
        Atlantic                            2,392,531    2,263,909    5.7
        Latin                               2,002,187    2,147,671   (6.8)
        Total Consolidated Available Seat
         Miles                             26,055,742   26,024,271    0.1

    Consolidated Load Factor (%)
        Domestic                                 79.6         78.2    1.4 pts
        Atlantic                                 70.9         73.6   (2.7)pts
        Latin                                    76.1         73.6    2.5 pts
        Total Consolidated Load Factor           78.5         77.4    1.1 pts

    Consolidated Enplanements
        Domestic                           20,160,127   19,900,717    1.3
        Atlantic                              430,108      425,958    1.0
        Latin                               1,195,402    1,266,423   (5.6)
        Total Consolidated Enplanements    21,785,637   21,593,098    0.9


    Notes:
    1) Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands are included in the
       domestic results.
    2) Latin numbers include the Caribbean.



    US Airways Mainline (US Airways and America West combined)

    APRIL

                                              2007        2006    % Change

    Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
       Domestic                            4,336,607   4,287,086     1.2
       Atlantic                              498,125     475,517     4.8
       Latin                                 408,238     440,408    (7.3)
       Total Mainline Revenue Passenger
        Miles                              5,242,970   5,203,011     0.8

    Mainline Available Seat Miles (000)
       Domestic                            5,202,160   5,169,130     0.6
       Atlantic                              629,449     567,876    10.8
       Latin                                 513,063     567,368    (9.6)
       Total Mainline Available Seat
        Miles                              6,344,672   6,304,374     0.6

    Mainline Load Factor (%)
       Domestic                                 83.4        82.9     0.5 pts
       Atlantic                                 79.1        83.7    (4.6)pts
       Latin                                    79.6        77.6     2.0 pts
       Total Mainline Load Factor               82.6        82.5     0.1 pts

    Mainline Enplanements
       Domestic                            4,629,495   4,531,554     2.2
       Atlantic                              124,923     121,682     2.7
       Latin                                 322,523     358,721   (10.1)
       Total Mainline Enplanements         5,076,941   5,011,957     1.3


    YEAR TO DATE
                                               2007         2006   % Change

    Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
       Domestic                            16,441,562   15,912,040    3.3
       Atlantic                             1,696,892    1,666,960    1.8
       Latin                                1,522,667    1,580,731   (3.7)
       Total Mainline Revenue Passenger
        Miles                              19,661,121   19,159,731    2.6

    Mainline Available Seat Miles (000)
       Domestic                            20,505,613   20,122,826    1.9
       Atlantic                             2,392,531    2,263,909    5.7
       Latin                                2,002,187    2,147,671   (6.8)
       Total Mainline Available Seat
        Miles                              24,900,331   24,534,406    1.5

    Mainline Load Factor (%)
       Domestic                                  80.2         79.1    1.1 pts
       Atlantic                                  70.9         73.6   (2.7)pts
       Latin                                     76.1         73.6    2.5 pts
       Total Mainline Load Factor                79.0         78.1    0.9 pts

    Mainline Enplanements
       Domestic                            17,431,416   16,911,366    3.1
       Atlantic                               430,108      425,958    1.0
       Latin                                1,195,402    1,266,423   (5.6)
       Total Mainline Enplanements         19,056,926   18,603,747    2.4


    Notes:
    1) Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands are included in the
       domestic results.
    2) Latin numbers include the Caribbean.



    US Airways Express (Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines, US Airways
    MidAtlantic Division)


    APRIL

                                               2007        2006     % Change

    Express Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
       Domestic                              209,630     254,030     (17.5)

    Express Available Seat Miles (000)
       Domestic                              289,892     342,507     (15.4)

    Express Load Factor (%)
       Domestic                                 72.3        74.2      (1.9)pts

    Express Enplanements
       Domestic                              730,583     793,685      (8.0)


    YEAR TO DATE
                                               2007        2006    % Change

    Express Revenue Passenger Miles (000)
       Domestic                              797,268     988,750     (19.4)

    Express Available Seat Miles (000)
       Domestic                            1,155,411   1,489,865     (22.4)

    Express Load Factor (%)
       Domestic                                 69.0        66.4       2.6 pts

    Express Enplanements
       Domestic                            2,728,711   2,989,351      (8.7)



    Notes:
    1) US Airways Express includes data for US Airways' MidAtlantic division
       through May 27, 2006.
    2) Canada is included in domestic results.
    Integration Update
    US Airways is also providing a brief update on the integration process
between US Airways and America West. Listed below are major accomplishments
or announcements from the month of April:
    * Reached unified agreement with the Transport Workers Union representing
      the airline's flight simulator engineers.

    * Announced plans to recall approximately 90 furloughed flight attendants
      and 130 furloughed pilots through the year's end.

    * Set forth plans to boost customer service experience at airports and
      on-board the airline's mainline fleet:

        - Airline will hire more than 1,000 new employees system-wide to boost
          airport customer service and pro-actively combat summer attrition

        - Begun a plan to replace approximately 600 self check-in kiosks in
          pre-merger US Airways locations

        - Mainline cabin improvements and higher quality on-board offerings
          will be seen as early as May on the transatlantic 767 and 757 fleets

    * Implemented a Pittsburgh fare sale for the second time this year
      resulting in reduced fares in 45 markets for travel booked by May 4 and
      completed by July 11.

    * US Airways' new Dividend Miles program wins industry-coveted Freddie
      Award in the Best Promotion category for its popular "Everything
      Counts" program, which allows members to accrue miles through a variety
      of partners on purchases that many were already making at the Dividend
      Miles shopping mall, i.e. hotels, flowers, online music, etc.

    * Accrued approximately $4 million for the airline's employee profit
      sharing program.
    US Airways is the fifth largest domestic airline employing nearly
36,000 aviation professionals worldwide. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and
US Airways Express operate approximately 3,800 flights per day and serve
more than 230 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and
Latin America. The new US Airways -- the product of a merger between
America West and US Airways in September 2005 -- is a member of the Star
Alliance network, which offers our customers 16,000 daily flights to 855
destinations in 155 countries worldwide. This press release and additional
information on US Airways can be found at http://www.usairways.com. (LCCT)
    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
    Certain of the statements contained herein should be considered
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be
identified by words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "indicate,"
"anticipate," "believe," "forecast," "estimate," "plan," "guidance,"
"outlook," "could," "should," "continue" and similar terms used in
connection with statements regarding the outlook of US Airways Group, Inc.
(the "Company"). Such statements include, but are not limited to,
statements about expected fuel costs, the revenue and pricing environment,
the Company's expected financial performance and operations, future
financing plans and needs, overall economic conditions and the benefits of
the business combination transaction involving America West Holdings
Corporation and US Airways Group, including future financial and operating
results and the combined companies' plans, objectives, expectations and
intentions. Other forward-looking statements that do not relate solely to
historical facts include, without limitation, statements that discuss the
possible future effects of current known trends or uncertainties or which
indicate that the future effects of known trends or uncertainties cannot be
predicted, guaranteed or assured. Such statements are based upon the
current beliefs and expectations of the Company's management and are
subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the
Company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from
the Company's expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are
not limited to, the following: the impact of high fuel costs, significant
disruptions in the supply of aircraft fuel and further significant
increases to fuel prices; our high level of fixed obligations and our
ability to obtain and maintain financing for operations and other purposes;
our ability to achieve the synergies anticipated as a result of the merger
and to achieve those synergies in a timely manner; our ability to integrate
the management, operations and labor groups of US Airways Group and America
West Holdings; labor costs and relations with unionized employees generally
and the impact and outcome of labor negotiations; the impact of global
instability, including the current instability in the Middle East, the
continuing impact of the military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the potential impact of future
hostilities, terrorist attacks, infectious disease outbreaks or other
global events that affect travel behavior; reliance on automated systems
and the impact of any failure or disruption of these systems; the impact of
future significant operating losses; changes in prevailing interest rates;
our ability to obtain and maintain commercially reasonable terms with
vendors and service providers and our reliance on those vendors and service
providers; security-related and insurance costs; changes in government
legislation and regulation; our ability to use pre-merger NOLs and certain
other tax attributes; competitive practices in the industry, including
significant fare restructuring activities, capacity reductions and in court
or out of court restructuring by major airlines; continued existence of
prepetition liabilities; interruptions or disruptions in service at one or
more of our hub airports; weather conditions; our ability to obtain and
maintain any necessary financing for operations and other purposes; our
ability to maintain adequate liquidity; our ability to maintain contracts
that are critical to our operations; our ability to operate pursuant to the
terms of our financing facilities (particularly the financial covenants);
our ability to attract and retain customers; the cyclical nature of the
airline industry; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel;
economic conditions; and other risks and uncertainties listed from time to
time in our reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission. There may be
other factors not identified above of which the Company is not currently
aware that may affect matters discussed in the forward-looking statements,
and may also cause actual results to differ materially from those
discussed. All forward-looking statements are based on information
currently available to the Company. The Company assumes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect actual
results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such
estimates. Additional factors that may affect the future results of the
Company are set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the
Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31,
2007, which is available at http://www.usairways.com.
    -LCC-


SOURCE US Airways Group, Inc.




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  • http://www.usairways.com
    Photo Notes:
    NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/LAW097LOGO
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    CONTACT:
    Phil Gee of US Airways Group, Inc.,
    +1-480-693-5729