US Airways Reports Year-End Traffic
ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways reported today
that revenue passenger miles for December 2002 decreased 0.6 percent compared
to December 2001, while available seat miles for the month were down 11.7
percent compared to the same period last year. The passenger load factor for
December 2002 was 72.4 percent, an 8.1 percentage-point increase compared to
December 2001.
For the fourth quarter 2002, revenue passenger miles decreased 1.4 percent
compared to the fourth quarter 2001, while available seat miles decreased 8.8
percent. The fourth quarter passenger load factor was 68.3 percent, an
increase of 5.1 percentage points compared to the same period in 2001.
Year-to-date revenue passenger miles decreased 12.9 percent compared to
the full year 2001, while available seat miles decreased 15.5 percent. The
year-to-date passenger load factor was 71.0 percent, an increase of 2.2
percentage points compared to the same period in 2001.
The three wholly owned subsidiaries of US Airways Group, Inc. -- Allegheny
Airlines, Inc., Piedmont Airlines, Inc., and PSA, Inc. -- reported that
revenue passenger miles for December 2002 increased 25.3 percent compared to
December 2001, while available seat miles increased 5.6 percent. The
passenger load factor for the month was 57.4 percent, an increase of 9.0
percentage points compared to the same period in 2001.
US Airways Express revenue passenger miles for the fourth quarter 2002
increased 24.9 percent compared to the fourth quarter 2001, while available
seat miles increased 12.9 percent. The US Airways Express fourth quarter
passenger load factor was 55.5 percent, an increase of 5.3 percentage points
compared to the same period in 2001.
Year-to-date revenue passenger miles for the three wholly owned US Airways
Express carriers increased 11.1 percent compared to the full year 2001, while
available seat miles increased 12.4 percent. The year-to-date passenger load
factor was 53.4 percent, a decrease of 0.6 percentage points compared to the
same period in 2001.
Winter weather for the month of December had some effect on US Airways'
flight operations. US Airways ended the month by completing 97.9 percent of
its scheduled flights.
System mainline passenger unit revenue for December 2002 is expected to
increase between 11.5 percent to 12.5 percent compared to December 2001, which
is a decrease of between 8.5 percent and 9.5 percent compared to December
2000.
Two of the heaviest travel days of the Thanksgiving Holiday (Sunday and
Monday) this year took place in December versus November, thus affecting the
year-over-year comparisons.
Separately, US Airways today filed its Monthly Operating Report with the
U.S. bankruptcy court in Alexandria, Va., and reported an operating loss of
$96 million for the month of November 2002, and a net loss of $118 million.
Roger
EWROPS