Alaska Airlines to Increase Cargo Service to Southeast Alaska 12 Percent This Summer.

Business Editors/Transportation Writers

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2003

Alaska Airlines will increase cargo service between Seattle and several Southeast Alaska fishing communities by 12 percent this summer to meet additional seasonal demand.

The additional cargo-only flights, which begin June 8, will allow fresh fish to be shipped seamlessly to Alaska Airlines' new East Coast destinations. Previously, shipping fish cross-country required changing carriers in Seattle.

"This gives fishing companies the ability to get their product to market on the East Coast more quickly and affordably than ever before," said Keola Pang-Ching, Alaska Airlines' director of cargo.

The Alaska cities to receive nonstop cargo service to Seattle are Sitka, Wrangell and Petersburg. The increased service this summer will complement Alaska's existing five-day-a-week, cargo-only service from Juneau to Seattle. All cargo flights will complete a weekly loop out of Anchorage to the smaller cities then nonstop to Seattle and back to Alaska.

The nation's ninth-largest, Alaska Airlines carried more than 141 million pounds of cargo throughout its system in 2002. For more information about shipping cargo on Alaska Airlines, visit alaskaair.com or call 1-800-2ALASKA. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom on the Internet at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com.