Alaska Airlines reports $142M in Q3 cargo revenue

Alaska Air Group, the only scheduled passenger airline in the United States to operate its own freighters, today reported $142 million in “cargo and other revenue” for the third quarter. A year-over-year comparison is not instructive as Alaska Air Group, also the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines following its $1.9 billion acquisition in September 2024, only included about thirteen days of Hawaiian’s earnings in its Q3 2024 results. [caption id="attachment_56868661" align="aligncenter" width="562"] Alaska added its first 737-800BCF last year. (Courtesy/Alaska Airlines)[/caption] However, Alaska Air Group’s cargo revenue was $80 million in Q3 2024, and Hawaiian Airlines’ former parent company, Hawaiian Holdings, did not put out a Q3 2024 earnings report. Disruptions Alaska Air Group postponed its earnings call, scheduled for today, as it recovers from an Oct. 23 IT outage that forced Alaska Airlines to cancel more than 200 flights, the carrier said in a social media post. Alaska Airlines flights were grounded at about 7:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 23 and operations resumed at about 2:30 a.m. ET today. “Additional flight disruptions are likely as we reposition aircraft and crews throughout our network,” the airline said in the post. Alaska Airlines operates five freighters: two 737-800BCFs (35681 and 35682) and three 737-700BDSFs (30792, 30793 and 30794). Unit 35681 saw an approximately two-hour delay this morning from Seattle (SEA) to Anchorage (ACN) and unit 30792 saw an approximately three-hour delay on a flight to Juneau (JNU) from ANC and then a 2.5-hour delay on a flight from JNU to SEA, according to flight tracker FlightRadar24. It is unclear if these delays were because of the outage. Alaska Airlines declined to provide details to Cargo Facts . Alaska Airlines had a similar outage in July that resulted in a three-hour ground stop. Alaska Air Group attributed an 8.6% YoY increase in costs — excluding fuel, freighter costs and special items — in Q3 to the July outage and several weeks of challenging weather. Q3 by the numbers Hawaiian signed a deal in 2022 to operate ten converted A330-300 freighters for Amazon on a CMI basis. Hawaiian is flying all ten A330-300P2Fs (1902, 1863, 1865, 1874, 1081, 1071, 1226, 1245, 1167 and 1205) for the e-tailer, putting units 1167 and 1205 into service in Q2, making Q3 the first quarter of full operation of the aircraft. The carrier group reported $3.8 billion in total operating revenue in Q2. During the corresponding period last year, Alaska Air Group reported $3.1 billion in operating revenue and Hawaiian Holdings did not report its revenue. Alaska Air Group reported net income of $73 million. It also reported in Q3: Operating income of $148 million; Income before taxes of $111 million; and Diluted earnings per share of 62 cents. Alaska’s Q4 outlook, which does not include the effects of the overnight ground stop, expects adjusted earnings per share to be at least 40 cents. For full year, the group expects adjusted earnings per share to be at least $2.40. Shares of Alaska Air Group ( NYSE: ALK ) were down 6.15 % from market open to $43.76 as of market close today. The company has a market capitalization of $5.1 billion. American Airlines cargo revenue up 5% American Airlines reported $212 million in Q3 cargo revenue, an increase of 5% YoY. The carrier reported record Q3 operating revenue of $13.7 billion, up 0.3% YoY. These results were achieved “despite tough operating conditions,” President and Chief Executive Robert Isom said on the company’s Oct. 23 earnings call. [caption id="attachment_57146353" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] (Courtesy/American Airlines)[/caption] Isom also announced the appointment of Nathaniel Pieper as chief commercial officer, effective Nov. 3. Pieper has been CEO of the Oneworld Alliance, which includes American, since April 2024. American Airlines reported a net loss of $114 million, compared with a net loss of $149 million in Q3 2024. The carrier also reported in Q3: Operating income of $151 million, up 69.4% YoY; An income before taxes loss of $142 million, compared with a loss before taxes of $256 million in Q3 2024; Diluted loss per common share of 17 cents, compared with a loss of 23 cents in Q3 2024; 545 million cargo ton miles, up 0.7% YoY; and Cargo yield per ton mile of 39 cents, up 4.3% YoY. AA Cargo, the cargo arm of the carrier, does not operate freighters, relying on bellyspace on passenger flights. American Airlines expects to take delivery of fifty-one new passenger aircraft this year, Chief Financial Officer Devon May said on the earnings call. Shares of American Airlines ( NASDAQ: AAL ) were up 7.91 % from market open to $13.78 as of market close today. The company has a market capitalization of $9 billion. Southwest cargo revenue down 2.3% Southwest Airlines reported $42 million in cargo revenue in Q3, down 2.3% YoY, and a record Q3 operating revenue of $6.9 billion, up 1.1% YoY, the carrier announced Oct. 23. The carrier, which does not operate freighters, received eight 737-8s in Q3 and retired sixteen aircraft in the quarter — fifteen 737-700s and a 737-800 — ending the quarter with 802 aircraft. [caption id="attachment_14797" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] (Courtesy/Southwest Airlines)[/caption] In the first half of the year, the carrier received twenty-eight 737-8s and retired nineteen 737-700s and two 737-800s. “Boeing continues to hit their delivery plan, and we've increased our 2025 delivery assumptions from forty-seven to fifty-three Boeing 737-8 aircraft,” Chief Financial Officer Tom Doxey said on the Oct. 23 earnings call. The carrier anticipates retiring fifty-five aircraft this year, according to the earnings release. The carrier reported net income of $54 million, down 19.4% YoY. Southwest also reported in Q3: Operating income of $35 million, down 7.9% YoY; Income before taxes of $68 million, down 23.6% YoY; and Diluted earnings per share of 10 cents, down 9.1% YoY. Shares of Southwest Airlines ( NYSE: LUV ) were up 1.71 % from market open to $32.19 as of market close today. Southwest has a market capitalization of $16.7 billion. Follow daily coverage of Cargo Facts Symposium 2025's highlights , and utilize the mobile event app to network with fellow attendees. Cargo Facts LATAM 2026, the essential event for stakeholders in Latin America, will take place Feb. 10-12 at the Marquis Reforma in Mexico City. Learn more and register by Dec. 19 to take advantage of early-bird pricing.

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