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.
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SOURCE Alaska Air Group