Great Lakes Reports September Traffic

GREAT LAKES AVIATION REPORTS SEPTEMBER TRAFFIC; PASSENGERS UP 2.8 PERCENT AND LOAD FACTOR AT 54.7 PERCENT

Spencer, Iowa – October 6, 1999 – Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. (NASDAQ:GLUX) today announced preliminary passenger traffic results for the month of September.

Although passenger enplanements increased, revenue passenger miles were lower than the same month last year as a result in significant changes in the company's United Express route structure. Average passenger trip length declined 49 miles or 17 percent from 291 miles in 1998 to 242 miles in 1999. This reduction in average trip length is a reflection of the addition of flying in shorter haul, higher yield markets and the deletion of flying in a number of longer haul markets at both Chicago and Denver.

Scheduled service generated 22,807,000 revenue passenger miles (RPMs), a 14.6 percent decrease from the same month last year. Available seat miles (ASMs) decreased 8.7 percent to 41,671,000. As a result load factor declined 3.8 points to 54.7 percent. The company carried 94,267 passengers, a 2.8 percent increase compared to September, 1998

For the three months ended September 30, 1999, RPMs decreased 4.7 percent to 76,847,000 compared to the same three months in 1998 while ASMs decreased by 5.0 percent to 133,793,000 for the quarter in 1999 compared to 1998. As a result, load factor increased to 57.4 percent for 1999 compared to 57.3 percent for the same three month period in 1998. The company carried 312,949 passengers for the three months ended September, 1999, a 12.7 percent increase compared to the same three months in 1998.

For the nine month period ended September 30, 1999 compared to the same nine month period in 1998, RPMs increased 10.4 percent to 200,989,000 while ASMs increased 15.3 percent to 403,474,000, resulting in a load factor of 49.8 percent for 1999 compared to 52.0 percent for the same nine month period in 1998. The company carried 792,780 passengers for the nine months ended September 30, 1999, a 26.4 percent increase on a year over year basis.

	SEP., 1999	SEP., 1998	Change
Passengers Enplaned	94,267	91,733	+2.8%
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	22,807	26,718	-14.6%
Available Seat Miles (000)	41,671	45,665	-8.7%
Load Factor	54.7%	58.5%	-3.8 Pts.

	3rd Qtr 1999	3rd Qtr 1998	Change
Passenger Enplaned	312,949	277,720	+12.7%
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	76,847	80,622	-4.7%
Available Seat Miles (000)	133,793	140,777	-5.0%
Load Factor	57.4%	57.3%	-0.1 Pts.

	YTD 1999	YTD 1998	Change
Passengers Enplaned	792,780	627,102	+26.4%
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)	200,989	181,982	+10.4%
Available Seat Miles (000)	403,374	349,807	+15.3%
Load Factor	49.8%	52.0%	-2.2 Pts.

Great Lakes added United Express service at Casper, Wyoming on September 7, 1999 while discontinuing flights to Bismarck, North Dakota and its seasonal service to Gunnison, Colorado. Great Lakes will discontinue flights between Mount Vernon, Illinois and Chicago at the end of October, 1999.

As of September 30, 1999, United Express flights were being provided at 68 airports in fourteen states with a fleet of eight Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias and 40 Beechcraft 1900D's. A total of 292 weekday flights are scheduled at three hubs, 82 flights at Chicago O'Hare, 198 at Denver and 12 at Minneapolis-St. Paul. In addition, the company operates 4 weekday round trip flights between Springfield, Illinois and Chicago-Meigs Field. All Scheduled flights are operated under the United Express marketing identity.