Emission Reduction Programs

At Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, we recognize that because the very nature of our business requires the use of large equipment that, until better technology is developed, release carbon emissions into the atmosphere, we have a great responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint. We take this responsibility seriously; therefore we are working on three areas of opportunity for reducing that footprint - through our aircraft fleet, our vehicles, and our buildings:

Our Fleet

Our aircraft emission reduction programs have contributed to a significant decline in our carbon footprint. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air now operate some of the most fuel-efficient (and carbon efficient) aircraft in the industry. This efficiency has come through our aircraft fleet replacement programs, our use of innovative technology, and by working with the FAA to modernize the use of our air space.

To improve the aerodynamics of our aircraft, Alaska Airlines is using winglets (the turned-up extensions at the tips of the wings) to further increase fuel efficiency by 3 percent. All of our new aircraft come equipped with winglets, and we are retrofitting our older 737s. At this time, approximately 65 percent of our fleet of 116 aircraft are equipped with fuel-saving winglets. That translates into approximately 100,000 fewer gallons of fuel consumed per aircraft each year.

Fleet/Aerodynamic Improvements

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air work hard to conserve fuel and improve the flying efficiency of our aircraft. Through the fleet improvement initiatives described below, we have saved more than 16 million gallons of fuel per year. This is equivalent to taking 28,000 cars off the road for a year.

Fleet Transition: Beginning in 2006 and concluding in 2008, Alaska Airlines has replaced their fleet of MD-80 aircraft with more fuel-efficient Boeing Next Generation 737s. The 737-800 is one of the most fuel-efficient jet aircraft available, consuming 18 percent less fuel compared to an MD-80.
At Horizon Air, we are transitioning from a combined fleet of Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jets and Q400 turboprops to a single all-Q400 fleet. The 76-seat Q400 is 30-40% more fuel-efficient than a comparable jet.
Winglets: Retrofitting Alaska Airlines' older 737s with winglets (the turned-up extensions at the tips of the wings) further increases fuel efficiency by 3 percent. That translates into approximately 100,000 fewer gallons of fuel consumed per aircraft each year.
Weight Reduction: To further reduce fuel consumption, we've had our fleet on a weight-loss program. Examples of our weight reduction efforts include: providing Alaska Airlines entire fleet with lighter catering carts, saving an estimated 300,000 gallons of fuel each year. Reductions of 20 gallons in the amount of potable water carried on our new 737-800s saves another 3,000 gallons of fuel per aircraft each year.

Flying Efficiencies/Flight Planning

A great way to save fuel and reduce emissions is to simply fly the shortest possible distance between two points. Air space modernization programs, such as those described below, offer the greatest opportunity for reducing fuel use and decreasing associated emissions. Alaska Airlines has been a leader in efficient flying since we pioneered the development of Required Navigation Performance, or RNP, in the mid-1990s. Alaska Airlines remains the only domestic carrier with a 100% RNP-equipped fleet and fully-trained crews.

Required Navigation Performance: "RNP" technology, which uses a sophisticated global positioning system, allows aircraft to fly more direct routes and at lower minimum elevations with pinpoint accuracy. This means fewer flights diverted to other airports or cancelled due to weather and more direct and efficient landing approaches. RNP flying conserved more than 250,000 gallons of fuel in 2008. Currently, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, in our "Greener Skies" partnership with the Port of Seattle and Boeing, are actively working to expand the capacity and efficiency of the airport and reduce emissions and noise exposure in the region. Specifically, we are seeking FAA approval and integration of specific RNP procedures at Sea-Tac to enable more efficient and environmentally friendly airline approach and departure paths at the airport.
JetPlan: In 2009, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will begin using the new Jeppesen Flight Planning System (JetPlan) to optimize flight routes. JetPlan dynamically calculates routes that utilize wind direction and speed to determine the most fuel-efficient flight path.
Q Routes: In 2004 Alaska Airlines partnered with the FAA to develop parallel flight routes to the San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles Basin airports. These routes, identified as "Q", follow one-way, direct flight paths from Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver to specific airports in the Bay and Basin areas. Compared to the previous routes, the Q routes save over 217 flight miles a day and almost 200,000 gallons of fuel per year.
Continuous Decent Approach (CDA): Beginning in March 2009, we have initiated an FAA-approved procedure to allow our planes to follow an optimized decent into the Anchorage Airport. This means that less fuel is used while approaching airports for landing. A more gradual decent approach will save an estimated 30,000 gallons of fuel per month.

Ground Fuel Reductions

Our efforts to reduce energy consumption and limit emissions are not confined to the air. Aircraft consume fuel while they are parked, boarding, and taxiing as well. Some of the ways that we are conserving fuel during the "ground" phase of our flights include:

Single-engine taxi: Instead of using both jet engines while taxiing to and from the runway, Alaska Airlines has initiated single engine taxi procedures to save fuel while the plane is on the ground. In 2009, by expanding this program to many of our larger airports, we have estimated fuel savings of 260,000 gallons per year.
Pre-conditioned air units: Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are making greater use of ground power and mobile preconditioned air units (PCAs) for aircraft cabin venting, cooling, and heating while parked at a gate. A PCA burns approximately 10 times less fuel than a typical 737's onboard auxiliary power unit. In our five largest west coast airports alone, PCA usage is estimated to reduce C02 emissions by 75 million pounds per year.

Our Vehicles

Our vehicles, or "Ground Support Equipment" (GSE), consist of forklifts, automobiles, and aircraft service vehicles such as baggage tugs and beltloaders. These GSE consume energy and contribute to our overall carbon footprint. Over the years, both Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air have initiated a variety of programs to move away from fossil-fuel powered GSE and explore cleaner alternatives for our ground support equipment.

Electric Vehicles: At the present time, over 65% of Horizon Air's ground support vehicle fleet consists of electric vehicles. In 2007, at Alaska Airlines' Seattle Air Cargo facility, we replaced all of our gas-powered forklifts with electric models. A similar project is scheduled for the Anchorage facility in 2009.
Alternative Fuels: Over the past three years, Alaska Airlines has converted or replaced most of our gasoline-powered aircraft towing tractors to cleaner-burning propane units. All of our large tractors will be converted by mid- 2009. In addition, hybrid vehicles were deployed at some of our California locations in 2008.
Employee work-from home: Approximately 20% of Alaska reservations agents and 60% of Horizon Air reservations agents participate in a work-from-home program. This eliminates the need for these employees to drive to work and removes approximately 240 cars from our roadways each day. We are planning to expand this program in 2009 to include another 30% and 70%, respectively.

Our Buildings

Although small by comparison to the footprint of our aircraft fleet, our building operations contribute to overall carbon emissions through the use of energy that provides heating, cooling and lighting. To conserve resources in our buildings, we've upgraded to more efficient light fixtures, lighting systems, and heating systems throughout the Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air systems. Recently completed projects include:

Energy conservation projects at Horizon Air's General Office in Seattle have culminated in a 15% decrease in monthly kilowatt hours over 2007.
Selected exterior electronic signs have been removed or deactivated or changed to LED.
By re-roofing Alaska Airlines' corporate headquarters in 2009, the building's thermal efficiency was increased over 11%.
Water conservation measures have been initiated through the installation of Envirovac waste systems, waterless toilets, and low flow faucets.
Air conditioning systems have been engineered to automatically shut down when hangar doors open.