Alaska Air Group reports second year of record income, but fourth quarter lags

Fuller planes, better scheduling and route expansion helped SeaTac-based Alaska Air Group report record earnings today for the second consecutive year. Alaska, parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, says its net income for 2011 excluding special items totaled $287.4 million or $7.83 a share. That was higher than 2010′s record profits of $262.6 million or $7.14 a share. “The improvment was due to schedule optimization and network expansion, high load factors, lower non-fuel costs and industry-leading customer service and operational performance,” said Alaska Air Group Chairman Bill Ayer. While the airline holding company's full-year results were higher than … Read more »