FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dick Fontaine
Senior VP- Marketing
(712)264-3190
(712)262-1000

GREAT LAKES AVIATION REPORTS APRIL, 1999 TRAFFIC; REVENUE PASSENGERS CARRIED DUP 30.3%

Spencer, Iowa -- May 11, 1999 -- Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. (NASDAQ:GLUX) today announced preliminary passenger traffic results for the month of April.

Scheduled service generated 19,229,000 revenue passenger miles (RPMs), a 15.3 percent increase from the same month last year. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 23.4 percent to 42,671,000. As a result load factor decreased 3.1 points to 45.1 percent. The company carried 74,281 passengers, a 30.3 percent increase compared to April, 1998.

For the four months ended April 30, 1999 RPMs increased 31.5 percent to 77,429,000 compared to the same four months in 1998 while ASMs increased by 39.5 percent to 178,149,000 for the four months in 1999 compared to 1998. As a result, load factor decreased to 43.5 percent for 1999 compared to 46.1 percent for the same four month period in 1998. The company carried 296,094 revenue passengers for the four months ended April 30, 1999, a 48.5 percent increase copared to the same four months in 1998.

APRIL AND YEAR-TO-DATE STATISTICS

 

April 1999

April 1998

Change

Passengers Enplaned 74,281 57,028 +30.3%
Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 19,229 16,676 +15.3%
Available Seat Miles (000) 42,671 34,585 +23.4%
Load Factor 45.1% 48.2% -3.1 Pts.
       
 

YTD 1999

YTD 1998

Change

Passengers Enplaned 296,094 199,455 +48.5%
Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 77,429 58,860 +31.5%
Available Seat Miles (000) 178,149 127,684 +39.5%
Load Factor 43.5% 46.1% -2.6 Pts.

As of May 1, 1999, scheduled service was being provided at 66 airports in thirteen states with a fleet of eight Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias and 40 Beechcraft 1900D regional airliners. A total of 282 weekday flights are offered at three hubs, 88 flights at Chicago-O'Hare, 172 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 flights are operated under the United Express marketing identity.

As previously announced, the company will add scheduled service from Denver to Amarillo, Texas, and to Hayden/Steamboat Springs and Gunnison in Colorado beginning May 18, 1999. Beginning June 1, 1999 the company will add daily flights between Denver and Vail/Eagle in Colorado.




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