Alaska Air Group Reduced its Emissions Intensity by 30 percent over the past 10 years; 2014 Accomplishments Detailed in Third Annual Sustainability Report

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May 20, 2015, 09:00 ET

SEATTLE, May 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, has reduced its mainline flying emissions intensity by one-third over the last 10 years through fleet advancements and flight technology. These advances have avoided burning 531 million gallons of fuel since 2004 — the equivalent of taking one million cars off the road for a year.

Additionally, Air Group reported record financial results, enabling it to invest in local communities and strengthen the long-term future of its workforce.

This is among a series of goals and accomplishments highlighted in Alaska Air Group's newly-released 2014 Sustainability Report, which summarizes the company's progress on environmental, social and economic goals. The complete report is available online at www.alaskaair.com/sustainability.

"Beyond our basic commitment as a company to provide safe, reliable and affordable transportation, we are focused on ensuring our business goals are in balance with the needs of our communities," said Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden. "We have made great strides in the last year to embed sustainability into every level of our business."

Below are highlights of the airline's accomplishments in 2014:

Planet

2,200 tons of material was collected for recycling inflight (enough plastic bottles to re-carpet Portland International Airport 29 times--#pdxcarpet)
47 Boeing 737 jets received new winglets, reducing emissions by 500 metric tons per aircraft per year (equivalent to driving around the earth 2,329 times)
Over 200 new electric vehicles were installed at Sea-Tac Airport, nearly doubling Air Group's electric ground service fleet
Although Air Group's total emissions increased from 2013 to 2014 as the airline's traffic increased 6.5 percent, its emissions intensity decreased by 2 percent (as measured per revenue passenger mile).

People

The average wage of Air Group's more than 13,000 employees ($69,044) is 23 percent higher than the regional average
82 percent of employees reported overall positive engagement, up from 79 percent in 2013
Over $9.6 million donated by Air Group, supporting more than 1,300 community organizations

Performance

16 new routes added, while still lowering non-fuel unit costs by 1.3 percent
Alaska is one of only two U.S. airlines with investment grade credit ratings

Editor's note: A brochure with highlights from 2014 Sustainability Report is available at http://www.alaskaair.com/content/about-us/sustainability-report/2014-highlights.

Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100 cities through an expansive network in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study for eight consecutive years from 2008 to 2015. Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan also ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power 2014 and 2015 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit Alaska Airlines' newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Air Group