Great Lakes Reports March & First Quarter, 1999 Traffic

GREAT LAKES AVIATION REPORTS MARCH AND FIRST QUARTER, 1999 TRAFFIC; FIRST QUARTER PASSENGERS SET A NEW RECORD FOR THE COMPANY WITH ENPLANEMENTS UP 55.7%

Spencer, Iowa -- April 7, 1999 -- Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. (NASDAQ:GLUX) today announced preliminary passenger traffic results for the month of March.

Scheduled service generated 21,069,000 revenue passenger miles (RPMs), a 37.0 percent increase from the same month last year. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 46.0 percent to 46,801,000. As a result load factor decreased 3.0 points to 45.0 percent. The company carried 81,133 passengers, a 54.8 percent increase compared to March, 1998.

First quarter results represent a record for the company in terms of revenue passengers enplaned. For the three months ended March 31, 1999 RPMs increased 37.9 percent to 58,186,000 compared to the same three months in 1998 while ASMs increased by 45.5 percent to 135,479,000 for the quarter in 1999 compared to 1998. As a result, load factor decreased to 42.9 percent for 1999 compared to 45.3 percent for the same three month period in 1998. The company carried a record 221,769 revenue passengers for the three months ended March 31, 1999, a 55.7 percent increase compared to the same three months in 1998.

"The company is very pleased with its March and first quarter performance" said Douglas G. Voss, Great Lakes' President and Chief Executive Officer. "We continue to see significant traffic growth in the 24 new Denver markets added in 1998" he continued. "The decline in load factor corresponds to the substantial year over year increase in subsidized essential air service capacity at the Denver hub and should not be perceived as a non-compensatory increase in capacity", he added.

	March 1999	March 1998	Change
Passengers Enplaned	81,133	52,398	+54.8%
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	21,069	15,374	+37.0%
Available Seat Miles (000)	46,801	32,045	+46.0%
Load Factor	45.0%	48.0%	-3.0 Pts.

	1st Qtr 1999	1st Qtr 1998	Change
Passengers Enplaned	221,769	142,427	+55.7%
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	58,186	42,184	+37.9%
Available Seat Miles (000)	135,479	93,098	+45.5%
Load Factor	42.9%	45.3%	-2.4 Pts.

As of March 31, 1999, scheduled service was being provided at 68 airports in thirteen states with a fleet of eight Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias and 40 Beechcraft 1900Ds. A total of 292 weekday flights offered at three hubs, 94 flights at Chicago-O'Hare, 176 at Denver and 22 at Minneapolis-St. Paul. In addition, the company operates 4 weekday round trip flights between Springfield, IL and Chicago-Meigs Field. All scheduled flights are operated under the United Express marketing identity.

As previously announced, the company terminated scheduled service at Aberdeen, South Dakota and Sterling/Rock Falls, IL on April 3, 1999. Beginning May 18 the company will add scheduled service from Denver to Amarillo, Texas, and to Hayden/Steamboat Springs and Gunnison in Colorado.