US Airways Reports Record November Load Factor

TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- US Airways Group, Inc. (NYSE: LCC) today announced November and year-to-date 2012 traffic results. Mainline revenue passenger miles (RPMs) for the month were 4.8 billion, up 4.0 percent versus November 2011. Mainline capacity was 5.7 billion available seat miles (ASMs), up 2.5 percent versus November 2011. Mainline passenger load factor was a record 85.1 percent for the month of November, up 1.3 points versus November 2011.

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As previously disclosed, given the effects on travel in the Northeast resulting from Hurricane Sandy, the Company estimates that November PRASM was negatively impacted by approximately 2 percentage points and November earnings by approximately $20 million. Bookings have since returned to normal levels.

US Airways' President Scott Kirby said, "Our November consolidated (mainline and Express) passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) was flat versus the same period last year. As we begin the busy holiday travel season, I would like to thank our 32,000 employees for delivering outstanding service to our customers. Despite record load factors during the week of Thanksgiving, our team delivered stellar operating results, including record-setting performance in on-time arrival rate, baggage handling, and completion factor."

As reported to the U.S. Department of Transportation, US Airways' preliminary on-time performance was 88.1 percent for the month of November with a completion factor of 98.9 percent. 

The following summarizes US Airways Group's traffic results for the month and year-to-date ended November 30, 2012 and 2011, consisting of mainline-operated flights as well as US Airways Express flights operated by wholly owned subsidiaries PSA Airlines and Piedmont Airlines.  

US Airways

US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates more than 3,000 flights per day and serves 195 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The airline employs more than 32,000 aviation professionals worldwide, operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus aircraft and is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers its customers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,329 airports in 194 countries. Together with its US Airways Express partners, the airline serves approximately 80 million passengers each year and operates hubs in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Phoenix, and a focus city in Washington, D.C. at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Aviation Week and Overhaul & Maintenance magazine presented US Airways with the 2012 Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of the Year Award for demonstrating outstanding achievement and innovation in the area of technical operations. Military Times Edge magazine named US Airways as a Best of Vets employer in 2011 and 2012. US Airways was, for the third year in a row, the only airline included as one of the 50 best companies to work for in the U.S. by LATINA Style magazine's 50 Report. The airline also earned a 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality index for six consecutive years. The Corporate Equality index is a leading indicator of companies' attitudes and policies toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and customers. For more company information visit usairways.com, follow on Twitter @USAirways or at Facebook.com/USAirways. (LCCT)

Forward Looking Statements

Certain of the statements contained or referred to herein are "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," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "plan," "project," "could," "should," "would," "continue" and similar terms used in connection with statements regarding, among others, the outlook, expected fuel costs, revenue and pricing environment, and expected financial performance and liquidity position of the Company. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, and other statements that are not historical facts. These 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 these statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the impact of significant operating losses in the future; downturns in economic conditions and their impact on passenger demand, booking practices and related revenues; the impact of the price and availability of fuel and significant disruptions in the supply of aircraft fuel; competitive practices in the industry, including the impact of industry consolidation; increased costs of financing, a reduction in the availability of financing and fluctuations in interest rates; the Company's high level of fixed obligations and ability to fund general corporate requirements, obtain additional financing and respond to competitive developments; any failure to comply with the liquidity covenants contained in financing arrangements; provisions in credit card processing and other commercial agreements that may affect the Company's liquidity; the impact of union disputes, employee strikes and other labor-related disruptions; the inability to maintain labor costs at competitive levels; interruptions or disruptions in service at one or more of the Company's hub airports or focus city; regulatory changes affecting the allocation of slots; the Company's reliance on third-party regional operators or third-party service providers; the Company's reliance on and costs, rights and functionality of third-party distribution channels, including those provided by global distribution systems, conventional travel agents and online travel agents; changes in government regulation; the impact of changes to the Company's business model the loss of key personnel or inability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the impact of conflicts overseas or terrorist attacks, and the impact of ongoing security concerns; the Company's ability to operate and grow its route network; the impact of environmental regulation; the Company's reliance on technology and automated systems and the impact of any failure or disruption of, or delay in, these technologies or systems; costs of ongoing data security compliance requirements and the impact of any significant data security breach; the impact of any accident involving the Company's aircraft or the aircraft of its regional operators; delays in scheduled aircraft deliveries or other loss of anticipated fleet capacity; the Company's dependence on a limited number of suppliers for aircraft, aircraft engines and parts; the Company's ability to operate profitably out of Philadelphia International Airport; the impact of weather conditions and seasonality of airline travel; the impact of possible future increases in insurance costs or reductions in available insurance coverage; the impact of global events that affect travel behavior, such as an outbreak of a contagious disease; the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; the Company's ability to use NOLs and certain other tax attributes; and other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in the Company's reports to and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("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 publicly update or supplement any forward-looking statement to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such estimates other than as required by law. Additional factors that may affect the future results of the Company are set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012 and in the Company's other filings with the SEC, which are available at www.usairways.com.

SOURCE US Airways