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.
TEMPE, Ariz. – 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.
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 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 www.usairways.com.
