British Airways

10:08 pm 18/10/2005
Wall Street airlines - Retreating oil prices gives airlines lift - UPDATE 1

SAN FRANCISCO (AFX) - Led by SkyWest Inc.'s 3.6% advance, airline stocks
closed mostly higher on Tuesday as retreating oil prices helped lift the sector.

The Amex Airline Index closed up 1% to 45.05 points.

Crude oil prices closed the session under $64 a barrel as concerns eased
that another hurricane could hit oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

The effect of those elevated oil and jet fuel prices will be laid out for
investors this week as quarterly results begin to roll in.

Continental Airlines advanced?1.4% to $11.89 ahead of the company's
quarterly report. Releasing its results after the bell Tuesday, Continental
reported a rare profit among the big carriers.

SkyWest gained 3.4% to $27.36.

AMR rose 0.9% to $12, a day ahead of quarterly results due out Wednesday.
As the most active stock in the index, Southwest Airlines closed flat at
$15.27 with 3.3 million shares changing hands.
US Airways Group slipped by 2.7% to $21.49.
Alaska Air Group and JetBlue Airways traded lower.