US Airways Reports August Traffic ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 3
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways reported its August 2004
passenger traffic today. Mainline revenue passenger miles for
August 2004 increased 0.8 percent on a 2.9 percent increase in
available seat miles compared to August 2003. The passenger load
factor was 79.1 percent, which is a 1.6 percentage point decrease
compared to August 2003. For the first eight months of 2004,
mainline revenue passenger miles increased 7.4 percent on a 4.6
percent increase in available seat miles compared to the same
period in 2003. The passenger load factor for January through
August 2004 was 76.3 percent, a 2.0 percentage point increase
compared to the same period in 2003. The two wholly owned
subsidiaries of US Airways Group, Inc. -- Piedmont Airlines, Inc.
and PSA, Inc. -- along with MidAtlantic Airways, reported a 79.0
percent increase in revenue passenger miles for August 2004, on
50.5 percent more capacity compared to August 2003. The passenger
load factor was 64.2 percent, a 10.2 percentage point increase
compared to August 2003. For January through August 2004, revenue
passenger miles for the two wholly owned US Airways Express
carriers and MidAtlantic increased 36.9 percent on an 18.3 percent
increase in available seat miles compared to the first eight months
of 2003. The passenger load factor for January through August 2004
was 60.9 percent, an 8.3 percentage point increase compared to the
same period in 2003. Mainline system passenger unit revenue for
August 2004 is expected to decrease between 4.5 percent and 5.5
percent compared to August 2003. Customer reaction to US Airways'
new low GoFares, which were introduced in Philadelphia in May and
in the Washington area in mid-June, continues to be positive,
resulting in an 83.6 percent mainline August load factor in GoFares
markets, compared to a 78.2 percent load factor in non-GoFares
markets. US Airways ended the month of August by completing 97.9
percent of its scheduled departures. Continued heavy rain and
thunderstorm activity in the East during the month of August
affected the company's departure performance. There was no change
in the mileage completion factor compared to August 2003. Certain
of the statements contained herein should be considered "forward-
looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which reflect the current views of
US Airways Group with respect to current events and financial
performance. You can identify these statements by forward-looking
words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "anticipate,"
"believe," "estimate," "plan," "could," "should," and "continue" or
similar words. These forward-looking statements may also use
different phrases. Such forward-looking statements are and will be,
as the case may be, subject to many risks, uncertainties and
factors relating to the company's operations and business
environment which may cause the actual results of the company to be
materially different from any future results, express or implied,
by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, the following: the ability of the
company to operate pursuant to the terms of its financing
facilities (particularly the financial covenants); the ability of
the company to obtain and maintain normal terms with vendors and
service providers; the company's ability to maintain contracts that
are critical to its operations; the ability of the company to fund
and execute its business plan; the ability of the company to
implement its Transformation Plan absent a judicial restructuring;
the ability of the company to attract, motivate and/or retain key
executives and associates; the ability of the company to attract
and retain customers; the ability of the company to maintain
satisfactory labor relations; demand for transportation in the
markets in which the company operates; economic conditions; labor
costs; financing availability and costs; aviation fuel costs;
security-related and insurance costs; competitive pressures on
pricing (particularly from lower- cost competitors) and on demand
(particularly from low-cost carriers and multi-carrier alliances);
weather conditions; government legislation and regulation; impact
of the Iraqi war and the Iraqi occupation; other acts of war or
terrorism; ongoing market acceptance of the company's Class A
Common Stock; and other risks and uncertainties listed from time to
time in the company's reports to the SEC. 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. The company assumes no obligation to update
such estimates to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or
changes in other factors affecting such estimates other than as
required by law. US AIRWAYS, INC. SELECTED TRAFFIC STATISTICS
August August Percent 2004 2003 Change Revenue Passenger Miles
(000): Domestic* 2,666,956 2,713,355 (1.7) International* 1,093,284
1,016,221 7.6 Total - Scheduled Service 3,760,240 3,729,576 0.8
Total (Including Charter) 3,760,458 3,730,403 0.8 Available Seat
Miles (000): Domestic* 3,429,435 3,446,104 (0.5) International*
1,321,870 1,170,535 12.9 Total - Scheduled Service 4,751,305
4,616,639 2.9 Total (Including Charter) 4,751,591 4,618,155 2.9
Passengers Boarded* 3,645,999 3,803,138 (4.1) System Load Factor*
79.1 80.8 (1.6) Average Passenger Journey* 1,031.3 980.7 5.2 *
scheduled service NOTE: Numbers may not add or calculate due to
rounding US AIRWAYS, INC. YEAR-TO-DATE 2004 Jan.-Aug. Jan.-Aug.
Percent 2004 2003 Change Revenue Passenger Miles (000): Domestic*
20,050,315 19,325,930 3.7 International* 7,412,410 6,237,355 18.8
Total - Scheduled Service 27,462,724 25,563,284 7.4 Total
(Including Charter) 27,464,104 25,615,279 7.2 Available Seat Miles
(000): Domestic* 26,575,820 26,439,006 0.5 International* 9,412,789
7,959,056 18.3 Total - Scheduled Service 35,988,609 34,398,062 4.6
Total (Including Charter) 35,991,530 34,481,732 4.4 Passengers
Boarded* 28,430,454 27,999,177 1.5 System Load Factor* 76.3 74.3
2.0 Average Passenger Journey* 966.0 913.0 5.8 * scheduled service
NOTE: Numbers may not add or calculate due to rounding US AIRWAYS
EXPRESS** SELECTED TRAFFIC STATISTICS August August Percent 2004
2003 Change Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 205,898 115,049 79.0
Available Seat Miles (000) 320,869 213,159 50.5 Passengers Boarded*
659,032 517,889 27.3 System Load Factor* 64.2 54.0 10.2 Average
Passenger Journey* 312.4 222.1 40.6 US AIRWAYS EXPRESS**
YEAR-TO-DATE 2004 Jan.-Aug. Jan.-Aug. Percent 2004 2003 Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 1,188,396 868,329 36.9 Available Seat
Miles (000) 1,951,283 1,649,933 18.3 Passengers Boarded* 4,490,033
3,919,872 14.5 System Load Factor* 60.9 52.6 8.3 Average Passenger
Journey* 264.7 221.5 19.5 * scheduled service ** Piedmont Airlines,
Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., and the MidAtlantic Airways division of
US Airways. The corporate merger of Allegheny Airlines, Inc., and
Piedmont Airlines was effective July 1, 2004. NOTE: Numbers may not
add or calculate due to rounding DATASOURCE: US Airways CONTACT:
David Castelveter of US Airways, +1-703-872-5100 Web site:
http://www.usairways.com/
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