# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0000766421
**File Stem:** 0000766421-23-000015
**Filing Date:** 2023-3
**Character Count:** 176525
**Document Hash:** de2da56c0fadf126bcbd2b197223a751
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0000766421-23-000015.hdr.sgml**: 20230331

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0000766421-23-000015

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: ARS

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 1

**CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT**: 20221231

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20230331

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20230330

**EFFECTIVENESS DATE**: 20230331

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** ALASKA AIR GROUP, INC.
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0000766421
- **STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:** AIR TRANSPORTATION, SCHEDULED [4512]
- **IRS NUMBER:** 911292054
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** ARS
- **SEC ACT:** 1934 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 001-08957
- **FILM NUMBER:** 23782370

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 19300 INTERNATIONAL BOULEVARD
- **CITY:** SEATTLE
- **STATE:** WA
- **ZIP:** 98188
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 206-392-5040

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 19300 INTERNATIONAL BOULEVARD
- **CITY:** SEATTLE
- **STATE:** WA
- **ZIP:** 98188

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** ALASKA AIR GROUP INC
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 19920703

### Attached PDF Documents

**Attachment 1:** `alaskaairgroup10-k2022.pdf`

# **UNITED STATES**
**SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION**

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

# **FORM 10-K**

☒...ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

OR

☐...TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission File Number 1-8957

# **ALASKA AIR GROUP, INC.**

Delaware
(State of Incorporation)

91-1292054
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

19300 International Boulevard, Seattle, Washington 98188
Telephone: (206) 392-5040

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

| Title of each class | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value | ALK | New York Stock Exchange |

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐ Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.): Yes ☐ No ☒

As of January 31, 2023, shares of common stock outstanding totaled 127,542,279. The aggregate market value of the shares of common stock of Alaska Air Group, Inc. held by nonaffiliates on June 30, 2022, was approximately $5.1 billion (based on the closing price of $40.05 per share on the New York Stock Exchange on that date).

# **DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE**

Portions of Definitive Proxy Statement relating to 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference in Part III.

# ALASKA AIR GROUP, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022

## TABLE OF CONTENTS

| PART I | 4 |
| --- | --- |
| ITEM 1. OUR BUSINESS | 4 |
| ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS | 20 |
| ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS | 28 |
| ITEM 2. PROPERTIES | 28 |
| ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS | 29 |
| ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES | 29 |
| PART II | 29 |
| ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES | 30 |
| ITEM 6. [RESERVED] | 30 |
| ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS | 30 |
| ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET RISK | 47 |
| ITEM 8. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA | 48 |
| ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE | 87 |
| ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES | 87 |
| ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION | 91 |
| ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS | 91 |
| PART III | 91 |
| ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | 91 |
| ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION | 91 |
| ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT, AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS | 91 |
| ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE | 91 |
| ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES | 91 |
| PART IV | 91 |
| ITEM 15. EXHIBITS | 91 |
| SIGNATURES | 93 |

As used in this Form 10-K, the terms “Air Group,” the "Company," “our,” “we” and "us" refer to Alaska Air Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise. Alaska Airlines, Inc. and Horizon Air Industries, Inc. are referred to as “Alaska” and “Horizon” and together as our "airlines."

### CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

In addition to historical information, this Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are those that predict or describe future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience or the Company’s present expectations.

You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements because the matters they describe are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our forward-looking

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statements are based on the information currently available to us and speak only as of the date on which this report was filed with the SEC. We expressly disclaim any obligation to issue any updates or revisions to our forward-looking statements, even if subsequent events cause our expectations to change regarding the matters discussed in those statements. For a discussion of our risk factors, see Item 1A. "Risk Factors." Please consider our forward-looking statements in light of those risks as you read this report.

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# PART I

## ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Alaska Air Group (the "Company" or "Air Group") is a Delaware corporation incorporated in 1985 that operates two airlines, Alaska and Horizon. Alaska was organized in 1932 and incorporated in 1937 in the state of Alaska. Horizon is a Washington corporation that was incorporated and began service in 1981, and was acquired by Air Group in 1986. Air Group acquired Virgin America in 2016, then legally merged the entity with Alaska in 2018, at which time the airlines' operating certificates were also combined. The Company also includes McGee Air Services, an aviation services provider that was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alaska in 2016, and other subsidiaries.

Alaska and Horizon operate as separate airlines, with individual business plans, competitive factors and economic risks. We organize the business and review financial operating performance by aggregating our business in three operating segments, which are as follows:

- **Mainline** - includes scheduled air transportation on Alaska's Boeing and Airbus jet aircraft for passengers and cargo throughout the U.S., and in parts of Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize.
- **Regional** - includes Horizon's and other third-party carriers' scheduled air transportation for passengers across a shorter distance network within the U.S. and Canada under capacity purchase agreements (CPA). This segment includes the actual revenue and expenses associated with regional flying, as well as an allocation of corporate overhead incurred by Air Group on behalf of the regional operations.
- **Horizon** - includes the capacity sold to Alaska under a CPA. Expenses include those typically borne by regional airlines such as crew costs, ownership costs and maintenance costs.

Together we are the fifth largest airline in the United States, offering unparalleled guest service, connectivity and schedules from our hub markets along the West Coast. With our regional partners, we fly to more than 120 destinations throughout North America. We have operated in a highly competitive and often challenging industry for 90 years. Our top priority as an airline is ensuring the safety of our guests and employees, an area that we continually invest in. Our success over many decades and resilience in difficult times is attributable to our people, business model, and commitment to sustainable growth over the long-term.

In 2022, we outlined three strategic priorities to enhance our competitive advantage and support future growth. First, strengthening operational integrity across the network was key to providing guests with reliable service during a period of historic travel demand. We finished the year with completion and on-time performance rates near the top of the industry. Second, we focused on updating labor contracts with represented labor groups to ensure our employees receive market competitive rates, and to recognize their valuable contributions to our success. The five contracts signed during the year include significant improvements for our employees and position us well to focus on the future. Third, we prioritized transitioning our Mainline and Regional operations to single fleets. The single fleet operating models, anchored by Boeing MAX aircraft for the Mainline fleet and Embraer E175 aircraft for the Regional fleet, will drive more productivity and cost efficiency in the business.

The execution of these priorities, in combination with a strong demand environment and success of our commercial initiatives, enabled Air Group to deliver record-breaking revenue for the year of $9.6 billion and unit revenue improvements of 23% vs 2019. Although our airlines experienced significant cost pressures during 2022 driven by higher fuel prices, increased labor expenses, supply chain constraints, and effects from inflation, we generated $1.4 billion in operating cash flows for the year.

The improved results in 2022 set a foundation for our return to pre-COVID flying levels early in 2023 and sustainable growth thereafter. Our 2025 Plan is ambitious, including aligning our growth strategy with environmental, social, and governance targets. Instrumental to achieving this is our restructured fleet agreement with Boeing, which includes firm orders for 105 owned B737 aircraft to be delivered through 2027, with rights for 105 additional aircraft through 2030. In January 2023, we removed the last Airbus A320 aircraft from operating service. The ten A321neo aircraft are expected to exit the fleet no later than the end of 2023. A single fleet of Boeing MAX aircraft will significantly improve per-seat economics as a result of larger gauge and improved fuel efficiency. This advantage will serve as the baseline for high-margin capacity growth over the next several years. Although we have ambitious growth plans, we will continue to deploy capacity in a disciplined manner that is responsive to changing demand trends.

In 2022, recovery of leisure demand continued to outpace recovery of business demand. Responding to these trends, we adapted our network to take our guests where they want to fly. With new routes launched in 2022, we serve 100 nonstop destinations from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, more than any other carrier. As a member of the **oneworld®** alliance, we provide our guests with global access to more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. As we grow our West Coast hubs, we plan to

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maximize connectivity to partner airlines, allowing our guests greater global connectivity. Alaska guests are able to access over 100 weekly nonstop flights to Europe from the West Coast on **oneworld** partners.

Our success over 90 years has been fueled by our dedicated and engaged employees. In 2022, we hired nearly 8,000 employees to support our growth. Additionally, the five labor contracts signed during the year provide improvements and stability for our people. Aligning our employees' goals with the Company's goals is also critical in achieving success. To that end, Alaska and Horizon employees participate in our Performance-Based Pay (PBP) and Operational Performance Rewards (OPR) programs, which reward employees across all work groups based on metrics related to profitability, safety, sustainability, low costs, on-time performance, and customer satisfaction. In 2022, employees earned a record award payout of $257 million under these incentive programs.

## AIR GROUP

Our airlines operate different aircraft and missions. Alaska operates a fleet of narrowbody passenger jets on primarily longer stage-length routes. Alaska contracts with Horizon and SkyWest Airlines, Inc. (SkyWest) for shorter-haul capacity and receives all passenger revenue from those flights. Horizon operates Embraer E175 regional jet aircraft and Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft and sells all of its capacity to Alaska pursuant to a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA). Horizon removed all Q400 aircraft from operating service in January 2023. The majority of our revenue is generated by transporting passengers.

The percentage of revenue by category is as follows:

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Passenger revenue | 91% | 89% | 85% |
| Mileage Plan other revenue | 6% | 7% | 10% |
| Cargo and other revenue | 3% | 4% | 5% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |

We deploy aircraft in ways that we believe will best optimize our revenue and profitability and reduce the impacts of seasonality.

The percentage of our capacity by region is as follows:

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| West Coast (a) | 27% | 31% | 32% |
| Transcon/midcon | 43% | 37% | 41% |
| Hawaii | 13% | 16% | 10% |
| Alaska | 11% | 11% | 11% |
| Latin America | 6% | 5% | 5% |
| Canada | - % | - % | 1% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |

(a) Category represents flying within the West Coast. Departures from the West Coast to other regions are captured in other categories.

## MAINLINE

Our Mainline operations include Boeing 737 (B737) and Airbus A320 family (A320 and A321neo) jet service offered by Alaska. We offer extensive passenger service from the western U.S. throughout the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Belize. Our largest concentrations of departures are in Seattle, Portland, and the Bay Area. We also offer cargo service throughout our network and have three dedicated cargo aircraft that operate primarily to and within the state of Alaska. In 2022, we carried 32 million revenue passengers in our Mainline operations, up from 23 million in 2021, on improved demand for air travel.

During the year, we announced plans to accelerate the transition of our Mainline operations to an all-Boeing 737 fleet. At December 31, 2022, our Mainline operating fleet consisted of 203 Boeing 737 jet aircraft and 22 Airbus A320 family jet aircraft. All A320 aircraft were retired from our fleet in January 2023; our ten A321neo aircraft are expected to exit the operating fleet no later than the end of 2023. We continue to actively seek agreements to move the aircraft to interested counterparties.

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The percentage of Mainline passenger capacity by region and average stage length is presented below:

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| West Coast (a) | 22% | 24% | 22% |
| Transcon/midcon | 46% | 40% | 47% |
| Hawaii | 14% | 18% | 12% |
| Alaska | 11% | 12% | 13% |
| Latin America | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Average Stage Length (miles) | 1,347 | 1,324 | 1,272 |

(a) Category represents flying within the West Coast. Departures from the West Coast to other regions are captured in other categories.

## REGIONAL

Our Regional operations consist of flights operated by Horizon and SkyWest. In 2022, our Regional operations carried approximately 10 million revenue passengers, primarily in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California. Horizon is the largest regional airline in the Pacific Northwest and carried approximately 58% of Air Group's Regional revenue passengers.

Based on 2022 Horizon passenger enplanements on Regional aircraft, our most significant concentration of Regional activity was in Seattle and Portland.

During the year, we announced plans to transition our regional operations to an all-Embraer fleet. At December 31, 2022, Horizon's operating fleet consisted of 33 E175 aircraft and 11 Q400 aircraft. The Regional fleet operated by SkyWest consisted of 42 E175 aircraft. All Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft were retired from our fleet in January 2023.

The percentage of Regional passenger capacity by region and average stage length is presented below:

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| West Coast | 75% | 74% | 75% |
| Pacific Northwest | 8% | 7% | 9% |
| Canada | 2% | - % | 1% |
| Alaska | 3% | 3% | 1% |
| Transcon/midcon | 12% | 16% | 14% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Average Stage Length (miles) | 488 | 521 | 524 |

## FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM

Alaska Airlines Mileage PlanTM provides members with a comprehensive suite of frequent flyer benefits. Members can earn miles by flying on our airline, which are awarded based on distance traveled. Awarding based on distance, not spend, is unique and provides the program a competitive advantage over other airlines' programs as miles accumulate faster. Miles can also be earned by flying with one of our partner airlines, by using the co-branded credit card, or through other non-airline partners. Miles awarded do not expire and can accumulate until such time a member chooses to redeem. Members can redeem miles earned for flights on our airlines or partner airlines, hotel stays, or for first class upgrades on Alaska Airlines.

For the most frequent flyers, the program offers multiple tiers of MVP status, including MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold 100K, which can be achieved annually by earning qualifying miles or by flying a specified number of segments on Alaska or any of our 24 partner airlines. For those achieving MVP tier status, the program offers benefits, including bonus miles on flown segments, complimentary upgrades, free checked bags, and priority boarding. Members qualifying for higher tiers are offered incremental benefits. As a member of **oneworld**, Mileage Plan members with tier status are provided reciprocal status and benefits when flying on other **oneworld** members.

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Alaska has an agreement with Bank of America N.A which offers Mileage Plan members in the United States the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card (co-branded credit card). Cardholders receive miles for spend on the card, as well as an annual companion ticket that allows members to purchase an additional ticket for $99 plus taxes, with no restrictions or black-out dates, and a free first checked bag for up to seven people traveling on the same itinerary. The co-branded credit card agreement provides the Company a material cash inflow on an annual basis, and is an important source of value for Mileage Plan members.

In 2022, Mileage Plan members redeemed miles and companion certificates for 6.4 million award tickets on our airlines. Mileage Plan revenue, including those in the Passenger revenue income statement line item, represented approximately 17% of Air Group's total revenue in 2022. Accounting policies for Mileage Plan revenue are described more fully in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.

## MARKETING AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER AIRLINES

Our marketing agreements with other airlines fall into three categories: frequent flyer, codeshare, and interline.

- Frequent flyer agreements enable our Mileage Plan members to accrue miles and redeem them for flights on partner airlines.
- Codeshare agreements allow one or more marketing carriers to sell seats on a single operating carrier that services passengers under multiple flight numbers. The sale of codeshare seats can vary depending on the sale arrangement. For example, in a free-sale arrangement, the marketing carrier sells the operating carrier's inventory without any restriction; whereas in a block-space arrangement, a fixed amount of seats are sold to the marketing carrier by the operating carrier. The interchangeability of the flight code between carriers provides a greater selection of flights for customers, along with increased flexibility for mileage accrual and redemption.
- Interline agreements allow airlines to jointly offer a competitive, single-fare itinerary to customers traveling via multiple carriers to a final destination. An interline itinerary offered by one airline may not necessarily be offered by the other, and the fares collected from passengers are prorated and distributed to interline partners according to preexisting agreements between the carriers.

Frequent flyer, codeshare, and interline agreements help increase our traffic and revenue by providing a more diverse network and schedule options to our guests.

As a **one**world member, Alaska's elite Mileage Plan members now receive tier status matching across member airlines. Depending on tier status, guests can enjoy a variety of privileges, including access to more than 620 international first and business class lounges, fast track through security, priority baggage benefits, priority check-in desks, upgrades, and priority boarding.

Alliances are an important part of our strategy and enhance our revenue by:

- offering our guests more travel destinations and better mileage credit and redemption opportunities, including elite qualifying miles on U.S. and international airline partners;
- providing a consistent and seamless guest experience whether flying on Alaska or one of our partners;
- giving us access to more connecting traffic from other airlines; and
- providing members of our alliance partners' frequent flyer programs an opportunity to travel on Alaska and our regional partners while earning mileage credit in our partners' programs.

Most of our codeshare relationships are free-sale codeshares, where the marketing carrier sells seats on the operating carrier's flights from the operating carrier's inventory, but takes no inventory risk. Our marketing agreements have various termination dates, and one or more may be in the process of renegotiation at any time. Our codeshare and interline agreements generated 5%, 2%, and 3% of our total marketed flight revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.

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A comprehensive summary of Alaska's alliances with other airlines is as follows:

| Airline | Frequent Flyer Agreement | Codeshare |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  | Alaska Flight # on Flights Operated by Other Airline | Other Airline Flight # on Flights Operated by Alaska or CPA Partners |
| Aer Lingus | Yes | No | No |
| Air Tahiti Nui | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| American Airlines | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| British Airways | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cathay Pacific Airways | Yes | No | Yes |
| Condor Airlines (a) | Yes | No | No |
| EL AL Israel Airlines | Yes | No | Yes |
| Fiji Airways (a) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Finnair | Yes | No | Yes |
| Hainan Airlines | Yes | No | No |
| Iberia | Yes | No | Yes |
| Icelandair | Yes | No | Yes |
| Japan Airlines | Yes | No | Yes |
| Korean Air | Yes | No | Yes |
| LATAM | Yes | No | Yes |
| Malaysia Airlines | Yes | No | No |
| Qantas | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Qatar Airways | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ravn Alaska | Yes | No | No |
| Royal Air Maroc | Yes | No | No |
| Royal Jordanian | Yes | No | No |
| S7 Airlines (b) | Suspended | No | No |
| Singapore Airlines | Yes | No | Yes |
| Southern Airways Express/Mokulele Airlines (a) | Yes | No | No |
| SriLankan Airlines | Yes | No | No |

(a) These airlines do not have their own frequent flyer program. However, Alaska's Mileage Plan members can earn and redeem miles on these airlines' route systems.

(b) Effective April 19, 2022, S7 Airlines' membership in the **oneworld** alliance was suspended indefinitely, including earning and redeeming miles on Alaska Airlines.

## CARGO AND OTHER REVENUE

The Company provides freight and mail services (cargo). The majority of cargo services are provided to commercial businesses and the United States Postal Service. The Company satisfies cargo service performance obligations and recognizes revenue when the shipment arrives at its final destination, or is transferred to a third-party carrier for delivery.

The Company also earns other revenue for lounge memberships, hotel and car commissions, travel insurance, and certain other immaterial items not intrinsically tied to providing air travel to passengers. Revenue is recognized when these services are rendered and recorded as Cargo and other revenue.

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# GENERAL

The airline industry is highly competitive and subject to potentially volatile business cycles, resulting from factors such as uncertain economic conditions, volatile fuel prices, pandemics, a largely unionized work force, the need to finance large capital expenditures and the related availability of capital, government regulation-including taxes and fees, and potential aircraft incidents. Airlines have high fixed costs, primarily for wages, aircraft fuel, aircraft ownership, and facilities rents. Because expenses of a flight do not vary significantly based on the number of passengers carried, a relatively small change in the number of passengers or in pricing has a disproportionate effect on an airline’s operating and financial results. In other words, a minor shortfall in expected revenue levels could cause a disproportionately negative impact to our operating and financial results. Passenger demand and ticket prices are, in large measure, influenced by the general state of the economy, current global economic and political events, and total available airline seat capacity.

# FUEL

Our business and financial results are highly impacted by the price and the availability of aircraft fuel. Aircraft fuel expense includes raw fuel expense, or the price that we generally pay at the airport, including taxes and fees, plus the effect of mark-to-market adjustments to our fuel hedge portfolio as the value of that portfolio increases and decreases. The cost of aircraft fuel is volatile and outside of our control, and can have a significant and immediate impact on our operating results. Over the past three years, aircraft fuel expense ranged from 14% to 28% of operating expenses. Fuel prices are impacted by changes in both the price of crude oil and refining costs and can vary by region in the U.S.

The price of crude oil on an average annual basis for the past three years has ranged from a low of $39 per barrel in 2020 to a high of $94 in 2022. For us, a $1 per barrel change in the price of oil equates to approximately $18 million of raw fuel expense annually based on 2022 consumption levels. Said another way, a one-cent change in our fuel price per gallon would have impacted our 2022 raw fuel expense by approximately $8 million.

Refining margins, which represent the price of refining crude oil into aircraft fuel, are a smaller portion of the overall price of jet fuel, but have also contributed to the price volatility in recent years. Over the last three years, average annual West Coast refining margin prices have fluctuated from a low of $11 per barrel in 2020 to a high of $48 per barrel in 2022.

Our average raw fuel cost per gallon increased 73% in 2022, after increasing 37% in 2021 and decreasing 29% in 2020.

The percentages of our aircraft fuel expense by crude oil and refining margins, as well as the percentage of our aircraft fuel expense of operating expenses, are as follows:

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Crude oil | 64% | 84% | 64% |
| Refining margins | 35% | 16% | 16% |
| Other (a) | 1% | - % | 20% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Aircraft fuel expense | 28% | 23% | 14% |

(a) Other includes gains and losses on settled fuel hedges, unrealized mark-to-market fuel hedge gains or losses, taxes and other into-plane costs.

We use crude oil call options as hedges against our exposure to the volatility of jet fuel prices. Call options effectively cap our price for crude oil, limiting our exposure to increasing fuel prices for about half of our planned fuel consumption. With call options, we are hedged against spikes in crude oil prices, and during a period of declines in crude oil prices, we only forfeit cash previously paid for hedge premiums. We begin hedging approximately 18 months in advance of consumption.

In 2020, Alaska began using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for certain flights departing from San Francisco International Airport. SAF prices are currently higher than traditional fuel prices as the market is developing. We are evaluating options for obtaining the volume of SAF that we expect will be necessary to move us toward our long-term sustainability goals. These options include partnerships with alternative fuel companies and industry groups focused on ways to accelerate innovation in this area.

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We believe that operating fuel-efficient aircraft and executing on operational best practices are the best hedges against high fuel prices. Maintaining a young, fuel-efficient fleet helps reduce our fuel consumption rate, as well as the amount of greenhouse gases and other pollutants that our aircraft emit.

## COMPETITION

Competition in the airline industry can be intense and unpredictable. Our competitors consist primarily of other airlines and, to a lesser extent, other forms of transportation. Competition can be direct, in the form of another carrier flying the exact non-stop route, or indirect, where a carrier serves the same two cities non-stop from an alternative airport in that city or via an itinerary requiring a connection at another airport. We compete with other domestic airlines and a limited number of international airlines on nearly all of our scheduled routes. Our largest competitor is Delta Air Lines Inc. (Delta). Approximately 75% of our capacity to and from Seattle competes with Delta. As we have grown in California and have expanded our transcontinental route offerings, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines have also become large competitors and have increased their capacity in markets we serve. Our California and transcontinental routes have a higher concentration of competitors when compared to our historical route structure, which was predominately concentrated in the Pacific Northwest.

We believe that the following competitive factors matter to guests when making an air travel purchase decision:

# - • ***Routes served, flight schedules, codesharing and interline relationships, and frequent flyer programs***

We compete with other airlines based on markets served, the frequency of service to those markets and frequent flyer opportunities. Some airlines have more extensive route structures than we do, and they offer significantly more international routes. In order to expand opportunities for our guests, we enter into codeshare and interline relationships with other airlines that provide reciprocal frequent flyer mileage credit and redemption privileges. These relationships allow us to offer our guests access to more destinations than we can on our own, gain exposure in markets we do not serve and allow our guests more opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles. Our Mileage Plan offers some of the most valuable benefits in the industry, allowing our members the ability to earn and redeem miles on 24 partner carriers.

Our membership in the **oneworld** alliance provides our guests increased global network utility and benefits, and positions us to capture an incremental share of global travelers and corporate accounts. Through **oneworld**, guests can travel to more than 900 destinations in 170 territories and can enjoy privileges on member airlines including upgrades, lounge access, priority boarding, and more.

# - • ***Safety***

Safety is our top priority and is at the core of everything we do. In 2022, we held our inaugural Safety Day in order to reaffirm our commitment to safety across our company. In its most recent rankings for 2023, AirlineRatings.com has again ranked Alaska as the safest U.S. airline within its ranking of the Top 20 safest airlines in the world. We also received our 22nd Diamond Award of Excellence from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), recognizing both Alaska and Horizon aircraft technicians for their dedication to training.

# - • ***Fares and ancillary services***

Ticket and other fee pricing is a significant competitive factor in the airline industry. Travelers are able to easily compare fares and identify competitor promotions and discounts. Pricing is driven by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, market-specific capacity, market share per route/geographic area, cost structure, fare vs. ancillary revenue strategies, and demand.

Airlines often discount fares to drive traffic in new markets or to stimulate traffic when necessary to improve load factors. In addition, traditional network carriers have been able to reduce their operating costs through bankruptcies and mergers, while low-cost carriers have continued to grow their fleets and expand their networks, potentially enabling them to better control costs per available seat mile (the average cost to fly an aircraft seat one mile), which in turn may enable them to lower their fares. These factors can reduce our pricing power and that of the airline industry as a whole.

Domestic airline capacity is dominated by four large carriers, representing 78% of total seats. One of our advantages is that we offer low fares and a premium value product and experience. However, given the large concentration of industry capacity, some carriers in our markets may discount their fares substantially to develop or increase market share. Fares that are substantially below our cost to operate can be harmful if sustained over a long period of time. We will defend our position in our core markets and, if necessary, adjust capacity to better match supply with demand. Our strong financial

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position and low cost advantage have historically enabled us to offer competitive fares while still earning returns for our shareholders.

- Customer service and reputation

We compete with other airlines in areas of customer service such as on-time performance and guest amenities - including first class and other premium seating, quality of on-board products, aircraft type and comfort. By April 2023, we expect to complete our installation of satellite Wi-Fi on nearly all aircraft in the Mainline fleet. In 2024, we will begin installing satellite Wi-Fi on our Regional fleet, becoming the first major airline to do so.

Our employees are a critical element of our reputation. We have a highly engaged workforce that strives to provide genuine and caring service to our guests, both at the airport and onboard. We heavily emphasize our service standards with our employees through training and education programs and monetary incentives related to operational performance and guest satisfaction.

In addition to domestic or foreign airlines that we compete with on most of our routes, we compete with ground transportation in our short-haul markets. Our airlines also compete with technology, such as video conferencing and internet-based meeting tools. We expect that the advancement and increased utilization of these tools will eliminate the need for some business-related travel.

# TICKET DISTRIBUTION

Our tickets are distributed through three primary channels:

- Direct to customer: Selling direct at alaskaair.com is less expensive than other channels. We believe direct sales through this channel are preferable from a branding and customer relationship standpoint because we can establish ongoing communication with the guest and tailor offers accordingly. As a result, we prioritize efforts that drive more business to our website.
- Traditional and online travel agencies: Both traditional and online travel agencies typically use Global Distribution Systems to obtain their fare and inventory data from airlines. Bookings made through these agencies result in a fee that is charged to the airline. Many large corporate customers require us to use these agencies. Some of our competitors rely on this distribution channel to a lesser extent than we do, and, as a result, may have lower ticket distribution costs.
- Reservation call centers: Our call centers are located in Phoenix, AZ, Seattle, WA, and Boise, ID. We generally charge a $15 fee for booking reservations through the call centers.

Our sales by channel are as follows:

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Direct to customer | 64% | 68% | 73% |
| Traditional agencies | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| Online travel agencies | 7% | 9% | 9% |
| Reservation call centers | 11% | 11% | 6% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |

# SEASONALITY AND OTHER FACTORS

Our results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of those for the entire year because our business is subject to seasonal fluctuations. In typical years, our profitability is generally lowest during the first and fourth quarters due principally to fewer departures and passengers. Profitability typically increases in the second quarter and then reaches its highest level during the third quarter as a result of vacation travel. In a typical year, some of the impacts of seasonality are offset by travel from the West Coast to leisure destinations, like Hawaii and Costa Rica, and expansion to leisure and business destinations in the mid-continental and eastern U.S. Seasonality and operational fluctuations are not predictable in the current environment and may be permanently changed post-pandemic.

In a typical year, in addition to passenger loads, factors that could cause our quarterly operating results to vary include:

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- pricing initiatives by us or our competitors,
- changes in fuel costs,
- increases in competition at our primary airports,
- general economic conditions and resulting changes in passenger demand,
- increases or decreases in passenger and volume-driven variable costs, and
- air space and Air Traffic Control delays, particularly in Seattle and San Francisco.

Many of the markets we serve experience inclement weather conditions in the winter, causing increased costs associated with deicing aircraft, canceling flights and accommodating displaced passengers. Due to our geographically concentrated area of operations, we can be more susceptible to adverse weather conditions, particularly in the state of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, than some of our competitors who may be better able to spread the impact of weather-related risks over larger route systems.

No material part of our business, or that of our subsidiaries, is dependent upon a single customer, or upon a few high-volume customers.

## SUSTAINABILITY

### SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

Taking responsibility for our impact on the environment is an integral part of delivering value for all those who depend on us - employees, guests, owners and communities. To that end, we are focused on mitigating or reducing our most significant environmental impacts. Our sustainability goals are anchored by our commitment to reduce our carbon emissions. We have both short and long-term targets, with the long-term aim to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Our roadmap for achieving this goal includes the following focus areas:

- **Increasing operational efficiency** - Alaska and Horizon take pride in consistently delivering top-of-industry operational performance, which is part of optimizing fuel efficiency and thus avoiding carbon emissions. Alaska's use of Required Navigational Performance provides more direct and fuel-efficient approaches and reduces weather-related diversions. Alaska was also the first in the industry to adopt Flyways AI, a technology which leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize air traffic and enable more fuel-efficient flight paths. In 2022, Horizon began to adopt Flyways AI for its flights as well.
- **Renewing our fleet with more efficient airplanes** - Alaska received 26 B737-9 aircraft in 2022 and has firm commitments to take 109 additional B737 aircraft. Alaska has also secured 105 additional rights for B737 aircraft through 2030. These aircraft will provide improved fuel efficiency compared to the aircraft they are slated to replace, and enable fuel-efficient growth as well. Alaska has also partnered with Boeing on the B737-9 ecoDemonstrator program, which tests advanced technologies designed to enhance the safety and sustainability of air travel.
- **Using SAF** - Among available technologies, SAF has the greatest potential for enabling near-term progress towards our net-zero emissions goal, as it can be used alongside traditional jet fuel as a drop-in fuel but with lower carbon emissions on a lifecycle basis. Currently, there are supply constraints in the SAF market and expanding our use of SAF at the quantities necessary to reach our sustainability goals is dependent on its reliable availability. Alaska is working with others in the aviation community, companies in the private sector, and governments at the federal and state levels towards advancing the scalability of SAF production and reducing its cost.

Alaska currently offtakes SAF from Neste at San Francisco International Airport. In 2022, Alaska signed agreements to purchase approximately 200 million gallons of SAF to be delivered between 2025 and 2030. Additionally, Alaska launched a SAF program to join with business travel customers to support the development of the SAF market.

- **Increasing the use of electric or alternative power** - We have invested in electric ground-service equipment (GSE) and have partnered with our airports to install electric charging infrastructure. Successfully increasing our use of electric GSE is in part dependent on the sufficient availability of this infrastructure at airports. In 2021, we launched

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Alaska Star Ventures LLC (ASV), an investment arm with a primary focus on identifying and funding companies working on emerging green technologies. In 2022, ASV contributed $7 million in funding to venture capital groups focused on sustainable transportation technology. ASV has additional contribution commitments of $22 million in cash and in-kind investments through 2028. Alaska also announced a collaboration with ZeroAvia to begin development on a hydrogen-electric powertrain engine capable of flying regional aircraft in excess of 500 nautical miles.

- ***Harnessing carbon offset and carbon removal technology*** - To close any remaining gaps on the path to net-zero, we have partnered with industry experts to develop criteria for assessing credible, high-quality carbon offsetting and carbon removal technologies. Alaska does not currently purchase or invest in any carbon offsets or carbon removal technology. We will continue to evaluate various strategies, including these technologies, as we refine our plans to achieving net-zero.

This roadmap and our net-zero ambitions require technologies not yet fully developed or available at the scale required to decarbonize our industry. In these areas, we are focused on doing our part to aid in their development and growth as well as galvanizing support from both public and private sectors through public policy and capital investment.

In 2022, we included a carbon emissions metric in our company-wide Performance-Based Pay program, as we believe it is important to embed these critical targets into the incentives that align all of our employees. This metric was paid out at maximum achievement for the year.

Aside from our commitments to reducing our airlines' carbon footprint, we also recognize the impact our operation has in generating waste. Specific measures in recent years include replacing plastic water bottles and cups with plant-based cartons and recyclable paper cups, as well as ending the use of plastic straws and stir sticks. Alaska leads the industry in inflight recycling, and continues to evaluate new ways to further reduce inflight waste.

## SUSTAINABILITY GOVERNANCE

The Governance, Nominating, and Corporate Responsibility Committee of the Board of Directors oversees Air Group's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) program and is responsible for oversight of the strategy, goals, and public disclosures on ESG matters. The Committee regularly reviews performance on publicly reported sustainability goals and climate-related issues. The Board has a dedicated Climate Working Group to oversee management's climate strategy and path to net zero. This working group is comprised of four members from the board who bring deep expertise in energy, aviation, finance, and governance. The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors oversees Air Group's financial reporting process, including disclosures on ESG matters within the Company's financial statements.

We have formalized governance and oversight of ESG at the management level. As a member of the Executive Committee, the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Public Affairs and Sustainability is responsible for leading ESG strategy and development. The SVP also chairs Air Group's ESG Executive Steering Committee, which includes leaders from many different groups within the Company. This Committee is responsible for overseeing the performance toward our climate goals and providing input on Air Group's climate strategy.

## HUMAN CAPITAL

### OUR PEOPLE

Our business is labor intensive. As of December 31, 2022, we employed 25,469 active employees (19,549 at Alaska, 3,281 at Horizon, and 2,639 at McGee Air Services). Of those employees, 90% are full-time and 10% are part-time. Wages and benefits, including variable incentive pay, represented approximately 42% of our total non-fuel operating expenses in 2022 and 56% in 2021.

Most major airlines, including Alaska and Horizon, have employee groups that are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Airlines with unionized workforces generally have higher labor costs than carriers without unionized workforces. Those with unionized workforces may not have the ability to adjust labor costs downward quickly in response to new competition or slowing demand. At December 31, 2022, labor unions represented 86% of Alaska's, 44% of Horizon's, and 87% of McGee Air Services' employees.

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Our relations with U.S. labor organizations are governed by the Railway Labor Act (RLA). Under the RLA, collective bargaining agreements do not expire, but instead become amendable as of a stated date. If either party wishes to modify the terms of any such agreement, it must notify the other party in the manner prescribed by the RLA and/or described in the agreement. After receipt of such notice, the parties must meet for direct negotiations, and if no agreement is reached, either party may request the National Mediation Board to initiate a process including mediation, arbitration, and a potential “cooling off” period that must be followed before either party may engage in self-help.

In 2022, we reached five new labor agreements with our employees. Alaska employees represented by the Transport Workers Union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and the Air Line Pilots Association ratified new contracts. Horizon employees represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association ratified a new contract and Horizon pilots represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters ratified a pilot retention agreement.

Alaska’s union contracts at December 31, 2022 were as follows:

| Union | Employee Group | Number of Employees | Contract Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) | Pilots | 3,292 | Amendable 10/17/2025 |
| Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) (a) | Flight attendants | 6,620 | Amendable 12/17/2022 |
| International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) | Ramp service and stock clerks | 789 | Amendable 9/27/2026 |
| IAM | Clerical, office and passenger service | 4,907 | Amendable 9/27/2026 |
| Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) | Mechanics, inspectors and cleaners | 973 | Amendable 10/17/2023 |
| Mexico Workers Association of Air Transport (b) | Mexico airport personnel | 109 | Amendable 9/29/2019 |
| Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) | Dispatchers | 99 | Amendable 3/24/2027 |

(a) Negotiations with AFA for an updated collective bargaining agreement are ongoing as of the date of this filing.

(b) As a result of amendments to Mexican labor laws, the Company has up to four years to make changes to the existing labor agreements. During that time, the existing contracts remain in place.

Horizon’s union contracts at December 31, 2022 were as follows:

| Union | Employee Group | Number of Employees | Contract Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) | Pilots | 625 | Amendable 12/31/2024 |
| AFA | Flight attendants | 549 | Amendable 4/30/2024 |
| AMFA | Mechanics and related classifications | 216 | Amendable 5/10/2024 |
| Unifor | Station personnel in Vancouver and Victoria, BC, Canada | 41 | Expires 5/9/2025 |
| TWU | Dispatchers | 25 | Amendable 1/29/2026 |

McGee Air Services union contract at December 31, 2022 was as follows:

| Union | Employee Group | Number of Employees | Contract Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IAM | Fleet and ramp service | 2,297 | Amendable 7/19/2025 |

Alaska and Horizon invest in employee programs and training that aid advancement throughout the Company. Our Pilot Pathways Program provides a clear and direct path for Horizon pilots to progress to Mainline flying. Since its inception in 2018, 365 pilots have advanced through the program. In 2022, we launched a new Leader Academy program to help Alaska and Horizon supervisors and managers further develop their leadership and communication skills. Providing meaningful advancement opportunities to employees throughout Air Group is important, and we continue to evaluate new programs which support our people and advance our long-term strategic goals.

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# DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

At Alaska and Horizon, we believe that every person deserves respect regardless of race, ethnicity, capability, age, gender, or sexual orientation. We are committed to advancing equity in all forms, and have set specific and measurable goals to deliver on our commitments to racial equity and diversity by 2025. Our primary goals in this arena are to increase racial diversity in our leadership team and build a culture of inclusion for all employees. As a reflection of the importance of these commitments, a portion of long-term executive compensation has been tied to achievement of these goals.

We are working with existing partners such as United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to create career pathways for at least 175,000 young people. Progress to this goal ramped in 2022, as we held in-person Aviation Days and career panels designed to educate young people on careers in the aviation industry. Also in 2022, we launched the Ascend Pilot Academy, in partnership with the Hillsboro Aero Academy, which will provide aspiring pilots a simpler and more financially accessible path to become a pilot at Horizon. This academy will help make careers in aviation possible for a broader and more diverse population of future pilots.

# COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Alaska and Horizon are dedicated to actively supporting the communities we serve. In 2022, Air Group companies donated $6 million in cash and in-kind travel to approximately 1,500 charitable organizations, and our employees volunteered more than 26,000 hours of community service related to youth and education, medical research and transportation.

The Alaska Airlines Foundation provides grants to nonprofits that offer educational and career-development programs to young people. Organizations are invited to apply bi-annually for grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, with preference given to organizations that can demonstrate partnership and long-term program sustainability. Since inception in 1999, the Foundation has donated more than $4 million in grants, including more than $500,000 in 2022.

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# EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The executive officers of Alaska Air Group, Inc. and its primary subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines, Inc. and Horizon Air Industries, who have significant decision-making responsibilities, their positions and their respective ages are as follows:

| Name | Position | Age | Air Group or Subsidiary Officer Since |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Benito Minicucci | President and Chief Executive Officer of Alaska Air Group, Inc. and Alaska Airlines, Inc. | 56 | 2004 |
| Shane R. Tackett | Executive Vice President/Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Alaska Air Group, Inc. and Alaska Airlines, Inc. | 44 | 2011 |
| Kyle B. Levine | Senior Vice President Legal, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Alaska Air Group, Inc., Alaska Airlines, Inc. and Horizon Air Industries, Inc., and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer of Alaska Air Group, Inc. | 51 | 2016 |
| Joseph A. Sprague | President of Horizon Air Industries, Inc. | 54 | 2019 |
| Andrew R. Harrison | Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Alaska Airlines, Inc. | 53 | 2008 |
| Constance E. von Muehlen | Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Alaska Airlines, Inc. | 55 | 2021 |
| Andrea L. Schneider | Senior Vice President People of Alaska Airlines, Inc. | 57 | 2003 |
| Diana Birkett-Rakow | Senior Vice President Public Affairs and Sustainability of Alaska Airlines, Inc. | 45 | 2017 |

*Mr. Minicucci* was elected President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alaska Air Group effective March 31, 2021, and has been President of Alaska Airlines since May 2016. Prior to that he was Executive Vice President/Operations of Alaska Airlines from December 2008 to May 2016, and was Alaska's Chief Operating Officer from December 2008 until November 2019. He was Chief Executive Officer of Virgin America Inc. from December 2016 to July 2018, when Virgin America was merged into Alaska. He leads Air Group's Management Executive Committee, and was elected to the Alaska Air Group Board of Directors in May 2020.

*Mr. Tackett* was elected Chief Financial Officer in March 2020 and is a member of Air Group's Management Executive Committee. Mr. Tackett joined Alaska Airlines in 2000 and has served in a number of roles including Managing Director Financial Planning and Analysis (2008-2010), Vice President Labor Relations (2010-2015), Vice President Revenue Management (2016), Senior Vice President Revenue and E-commerce (2017-2018), and Executive Vice President Planning and Strategy (2018-2020).

*Mr. Levine* was elected Senior Vice President Legal and General Counsel of Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines in January 2020 and is a member of Air Group's Management Executive Committee. Mr. Levine was previously Vice President Legal and General Counsel of Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines (January 2016 - January 2020). He was elected Corporate Secretary of Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines in August 2017 and of Horizon Air in January 2020. Mr. Levine joined Alaska Airlines in February 2006 as a Senior Attorney. He also served as Associate General Counsel and Managing Director Commercial Law and General Litigation from July 2009 to February 2011 and, subsequently, as Deputy General Counsel and Managing Director of Legal at Alaska Airlines from February 2011 to January 2016.

*Mr. Sprague* was elected President of Horizon Air effective November 6, 2019 and is a member of Air Group's Management Executive Committee. Mr. Sprague previously served as Senior Vice President External Relations of Alaska Airlines from May 2014 until his resignation in September 2017. Mr. Sprague also served Alaska Airlines as Vice President of Marketing from March 2010 to April 2014 and Vice President of Alaska Air Cargo from April 2008 to March 2010.

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Mr. Harrison was elected Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer in August 2015. He is a member of Air Group's Management Executive Committee. Mr. Harrison joined Alaska Airlines in 2003 as the Managing Director of Internal Audit and was elected Vice President of Planning and Revenue Management in 2008. He was elected Senior Vice President of Planning and Revenue Management in 2014 and Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer in February 2015.

Ms. von Muehlen was elected Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Alaska Airlines effective April 3, 2021 and is a member of Air Group's Management Executive Committee. Prior to that she served as Senior Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering of Alaska Airlines from January 2019 to April 2021. Ms. von Muehlen served as Chief Operating Officer at Horizon Air from January 2018 to January 2019, and Managing Director of Airframe, Engine, Components MRO at Alaska Airlines from December 2012 to January 2018.

Ms. Schneider was elected Senior Vice President of People at Alaska Airlines in June 2019 and is a member of Air Group's Management Executive Committee. Ms. Schneider was previously Vice President of People at Alaska (August 2017-May 2019) Vice President of Inflight Services at Alaska (2011-2017), and later also took responsibility for Call Centers at Alaska (February 2017). She began her career at Alaska as Manager of Financial Accounting in 1989 and she held a number of positions until her election as an officer in 2003.

Ms. Birkett-Rakow was elected Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Alaska Airlines in November 2021. She was previously elected Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability in February 2021 and also served as Vice President of External Relations at Alaska Airlines from September 2017 to February 2021. Ms. Birkett Rakow is a member of Air Group's Management Executive Committee.

## REGULATION

### GENERAL

The airline industry is highly regulated, most notably by the federal government. The Department of Transportation (DOT), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the FAA exercise significant regulatory authority over air carriers.

- DOT: A domestic airline is required to hold a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the DOT in order to provide passenger and cargo air transportation in the U.S. Subject to certain individual airport capacity, noise and other restrictions, this certificate permits an air carrier to operate between any two points in the U.S. Certificates do not expire, but may be revoked for failure to comply with federal aviation statutes, regulations, orders or the terms of the certificates. While airlines are permitted to establish their own fares without government regulation, the DOT has jurisdiction over the approval of international codeshare agreements, marketing alliance agreements between major domestic carriers, international and some domestic route authorities, Essential Air Service market subsidies, carrier liability for personal or property damage, and certain airport rates and charges disputes. International treaties may also contain restrictions or requirements for flying outside of the U.S. and impose different carrier liability limits than those applicable to domestic flights. The DOT has been active in implementing a variety of consumer protection regulations and directives, covering subjects such as advertising, passenger communications, denied boarding compensation, tarmac delay response, ticket refunds, family seating requirements, and fee disclosures for ancillary services. Following operational difficulties across the industry, the DOT has increased its review of airline operational performance. Airlines are subject to enforcement actions that are brought by the DOT for alleged violations of consumer protection and other economic regulations. We are not aware of any regulatory investigations or enforcement proceedings that could either materially affect our financial position or impact our authority to operate.
- FAA: The FAA, through Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), generally regulates all aspects of airline operations, including establishing personnel, maintenance and flight operation standards. Domestic airlines are required to hold a valid air carrier operating certificate issued by the FAA. Pursuant to these regulations, we have established, and the FAA has approved, our operations specifications and a maintenance program for each type of aircraft we operate. Each maintenance program provides for the ongoing maintenance of the relevant aircraft type, ranging from frequent routine inspections to major overhauls. Periodically, the FAA issues Airworthiness Directives (ADs) that must be incorporated into our aircraft maintenance program and operations. All airlines are subject to enforcement actions that are brought by the FAA from time to time for alleged violations of FARs or ADs. At this time, we are not aware of any enforcement proceedings that could either materially affect our financial position or impact our authority to operate.
- TSA: Airlines serving the U.S. must operate a TSA-approved Aircraft Operator Standard Security Program (AOSSP), and comply with TSA Security Directives (SDs) and regulations. Under TSA authority, we are required to collect a September

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11 Security Fee of $5.60 per one-way trip from passengers and remit that sum to the government to fund aviation security measures. Airlines are subject to enforcement actions that are brought by the TSA for alleged violations of the AOSSP, SDs or security regulations. We are not aware of any enforcement proceedings that could either materially affect our financial position or impact our authority to operate.

The Department of Justice and DOT have jurisdiction over airline competition matters. The U.S. Postal Service has jurisdiction over certain aspects of the transportation of mail and related services. Labor relations in the air transportation industry are regulated under the RLA. To the extent we continue to fly to foreign countries and pursue alliances with international carriers, we may be subject to certain regulations of foreign agencies and international treaties.

We are also subject to the oversight of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) concerning employee safety and health matters. The OSHA and other federal agencies have been authorized to create and enforce regulations that have an impact on our operations. In addition to these federal activities, various states have been delegated certain authorities under these federal statutes. Many state and local governments have adopted employee safety and health laws and regulations. We maintain our safety and health programs in order to meet or exceed these requirements.

## ENVIRONMENTAL

We are also subject to various laws and government regulations concerning environmental matters, both domestically and internationally. Domestic regulations that have an impact to our operations include the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990, the Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Compensation Liability Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (including Environmental Justice), Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act. Many state and local environmental regulations exceed these federal regulations. We expect there to be continued incremental legislation aimed at further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous substances, and additional focus on environmental justice.

The Airport Noise and Capacity Act recognizes the rights of airport operators with noise problems to implement local noise abatement programs so long as they do not interfere unreasonably with interstate or foreign commerce or the national air transportation system. Authorities in several cities have established aircraft noise reduction programs, including the imposition of nighttime curfews. We believe we have sufficient scheduling flexibility to accommodate local noise restrictions.

The domestic US airline industry committed to carbon neutral growth starting in 2020 for both domestic and international growth. The mechanism to comply with this commitment internationally is through the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which is a global, market-based measure that allows for eligible emissions offsets or the use of CORSIA-eligible sustainable aviation fuel to mitigate the growth emissions. The program is regulated by the FAA who then affirms compliance to the International Civil Aviation Organization. The FAA has approved both Alaska and Horizon's monitoring, verification, and reporting plans.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth baseline year was modified and set to 85% of 2019 carbon dioxide emissions during the initial phase. This does not have a direct impact on domestic flights, however the EPA finalized a rule in 2020 on aircraft emission standards which aligns with the international agreements. Additional commitments to decarbonize through the Paris Climate Accord and domestic carbon neutrality remain a potential impact to our industry.

The federal government has proposed rules that would expand required disclosures discussing the impact of environmental change. While the rules are not yet final at the time of this filing, costs associated with compliance could be significant. Except for these proposed rules, we do not currently anticipate adverse financial impacts from specific existing or pending environmental regulation or reporting requirements, new regulations, related to our existing or past operations, or compliance issues that could harm our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows in future periods.

## INSURANCE

We carry insurance of types customary in the airline industry and in amounts deemed adequate to protect our interests and property and to comply both with federal regulations and certain credit and lease agreements. The insurance policies principally provide coverage for airline hull, spares and comprehensive legal liability, war and allied perils, and workers' compensation. In addition, we currently carry a cyber insurance policy in the event of security breaches from malicious parties.

We believe that our emphasis on safety and our state-of-the-art flight deck safety technology help to control the cost of our insurance.

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## WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

Our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports are available on our website at www.alaskaair.com, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after these reports are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained on our website is not a part of this annual report on Form 10-K.

## GLOSSARY OF TERMS

**Adjusted Net Debt** - long-term debt, including current portion, plus capitalized operating leases, less cash and marketable securities

**Adjusted Net Debt to EBITDAR** - represents adjusted net debt divided by EBITDAR (trailing twelve months earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, special items and rent)

**Aircraft Utilization** - block hours per day; this represents the average number of hours per day our aircraft are in transit

**Aircraft Stage Length** - represents the average miles flown per aircraft departure

**ASMs** - available seat miles, or “capacity”; represents total seats available across the fleet multiplied by the number of miles flown

**CASM** - operating costs per ASM, or 'unit cost'; represents all operating expenses including fuel and special items

**CASMex** - operating costs excluding fuel and special items per ASM; this metric is used to help track progress toward reduction of non-fuel operating costs since fuel is largely out of our control

**Debt-to-Capitalization Ratio** - represents adjusted debt (long-term debt plus capitalized operating lease liabilities) divided by total equity plus adjusted debt

**Diluted Earnings per Share** - represents earnings per share (EPS) using fully diluted shares outstanding

**Diluted Shares** - represents the total number of shares that would be outstanding if all possible sources of conversion, such as stock options, were exercised

**Economic Fuel** - best estimate of the cash cost of fuel, net of the impact of our fuel-hedging program

**Load Factor** - RPMs as a percentage of ASMs; represents the number of available seats that were filled with paying passengers

**Mainline** - represents flying Boeing 737, Airbus 320 family and Airbus 321neo jets and all associated revenue and costs

**Productivity** - number of revenue passengers per full-time equivalent employee

**RASM** - operating revenue per ASMs, or 'unit revenue'; operating revenue includes all passenger revenue, freight & mail, Mileage Plan and other ancillary revenue; represents the average total revenue for flying one seat one mile

**Regional** - represents capacity purchased by Alaska from Horizon and SkyWest. Financial results in this segment include actual on-board passenger revenue, less costs such as fuel, distribution costs, and payments made to Horizon and SkyWest under the respective capacity purchased arrangement (CPA). Additionally, Regional includes an allocation of corporate overhead such as IT, finance, and other administrative costs incurred by Air Group and on behalf of Horizon

**RPMs** - revenue passenger miles, or 'traffic'; represents the number of seats that were filled with paying passengers; one passenger traveling one mile is one RPM

**Yield** - passenger revenue per RPM; represents the average revenue for flying one passenger one mile

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# ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

If any of the following occurs, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be harmed. The trading price of our common stock could also decline. We operate in a continually changing business environment. In this environment, new risks may emerge, and already identified risks may vary significantly in terms of impact and likelihood of occurrence. Management cannot predict such developments, nor can it assess the impact, if any, on our business of such new risk factors or of events described in any forward-looking statements.

We have adopted an enterprise-wide risk analysis and oversight program designed to identify the various risks faced by the organization, assign responsibility for managing those risks to individual executives, and align these risks with Board oversight. These enterprise-wide risks align to the risk factors discussed below.

## *SAFETY, COMPLIANCE, AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE*

### *Our reputation and financial results could be harmed in the event of an airline accident or incident.*

An accident or incident involving one of our aircraft or an aircraft operated by one of our codeshare partners or CPA carriers could involve loss of life and result in a loss of confidence in our Company by the flying public and/or aviation authorities. We could experience significant claims from injured passengers, bystanders and surviving relatives, as well as costs for the repair or replacement of a damaged aircraft and temporary or permanent loss from service. We maintain liability insurance in amounts and of the type generally consistent with industry practice, as do our codeshare partners and CPA carriers. However, the amount of such coverage may not be adequate to fully cover all claims, and we may be forced to bear substantial economic losses from such an event. Substantial claims resulting from an accident in excess of our related insurance coverage would harm our business and financial results. Moreover, any aircraft accident or incident, even if it is fully insured and does not involve one of our aircraft, could cause a public perception that our airlines or the aircraft we or our partners fly are less safe or reliable than other transportation alternatives. This would harm our business.

### *Our operations are often affected by factors beyond our control, including delays, cancellations, and other conditions, which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.*

As is the case for all airlines, our operations often are affected by delays, cancellations and other conditions caused by factors largely beyond our control.

Factors that might impact our operations include:

- • contagious illness and fear of contagion;
- • congestion, construction, space constraints at airports, and/or air traffic control problems, all of which many restrict flow;
- • lack of adequate staffing or other resources within critical third parties;
- • adverse weather conditions;
- • lack of operational approval (e.g. new routes, aircraft deliveries, etc.);
- • increased security measures or breaches in security;
- • changes in international treaties concerning air rights;
- • international or domestic conflicts or terrorist activity;
- • interference by modernized telecommunications equipment with aircraft navigation technology;
- • disruption or failure of systems or infrastructure under the control of third parties, including government entities; and
- • other changes in business conditions.

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Due to the concentration of our flights in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, we believe a large portion of our operation is more susceptible to adverse weather conditions than other carriers with networks that cover a larger geographic area. A general reduction in airline passenger traffic as a result of any of the above-mentioned factors could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

*We rely on vendors and third parties for certain critical activities and sourcing, which could expose us to disruptions in our operation or unexpected cost increases.*

We rely on vendors for a variety of services and functions critical to our business, including airframe and engine maintenance, regional flying, ground handling, fueling, computer reservation system hosting, telecommunication systems, information technology infrastructure and services, and deicing, among others. We also rely on government-controlled systems such as air traffic control technology that could malfunction for reasons out of our control.

Even though we strive to formalize agreements with these vendors that define expected service levels, our use of outside vendors increases our exposure to several risks. In the event that one or more vendors go into bankruptcy, ceases operation or fails to perform as promised, for reasons such as supply chain delays, or workforce shortages, replacement services may not be readily available at competitive rates, or at all. If one of our vendors fails to perform adequately, we may experience increased costs, delays, maintenance issues, safety issues or negative public perception of our airline. Vendor bankruptcies, unionization, regulatory compliance issues or significant changes in the competitive marketplace among suppliers could adversely affect vendor services or force us to renegotiate existing agreements on less favorable terms. These events could result in disruptions in our operations or increases in our cost structure.

*Impacts of climate change, including legal, regulatory, or market responses, may have a material adverse result on our operations and financial position.*

Concerns regarding climate change, including the impacts of a gradual increase in global temperatures leading to more severe weather conditions, continue to rise. Increased frequency or duration of extreme weather conditions could cause significant and prolonged impacts to our operation, disrupt our supply chain, and influence consumer travel decisions. These disruptions may result in increased operating costs and lost revenue should we be unable to operate our published schedules.

Many aspects of our operation are subject to increasing regulation driven by environmental change. The federal government has proposed rules that would significantly expand required disclosures discussing the impact of environmental change. These regulations and requirements may be difficult to implement and the cost of compliance, or failure to comply, could adversely impact our operations and financial position. Increased governmental regulation involving aircraft emissions and environmental investigation and remediation costs coupled with public expectations for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions may require us to make significant investments in emerging and yet unproven technologies. Should these technologies not prove ready, not gain approval, or not be sufficiently available for use in our operation, our results of operations may be adversely impacted, and we may be required to direct new investments to different technologies. Public interest in U.S. airlines' response to climate change has continued to grow. Failure to address the concerns of our guests and our shareholders may lead to a reduction in demand for our services in favor of competitors that customers perceive to be more sustainable. This could adversely impact our financial position, our results of operations, or our stock price.

*Changes in government regulation imposing additional requirements and restrictions on our operations could increase our operating costs and result in service delays and disruptions.*

Airlines are subject to extensive regulatory and legal requirements, both domestically and internationally, that involve substantial operational impacts and compliance costs. In recent years, U.S. regulators have issued regulations or mandates concerning airline operations or consumer rights that have increased the cost and complexity of our business and involve greater civil enforcement and legal liability exposure.

Similarly, legislative and regulatory initiatives and reforms at the federal, state, and local levels include increasingly stringent environmental, governance, and workers' benefits laws. In some instances, it is impossible for us to comply with federal, state, and local laws simultaneously, exposing us to greater liability and operational complexity. These laws also affect our relationship with our workforce and the vendors that serve our airlines and cause our expenses to increase without an ability to pass through these costs. New employee health and welfare initiatives with employer-funded costs, specifically those impacting Washington state, could disproportionately increase our cost structure as compared to our competitors. In recent years, the airline industry has experienced an increase in litigation over the application of state and local employment laws, particularly in California. Application of these laws may result in operational disruption, increased litigation risk and expense, and undermining of negotiated labor agreements.

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Almost all commercial service airports are owned and/or operated by units of local or state governments. Airlines are largely dependent on these governmental entities to provide adequate airport facilities and capacity at an affordable cost. Many airports have increased their rates and charges to air carriers to reflect higher costs of security, updates to infrastructure, and other expenses. Additional laws, regulations, taxes, airport rates, and airport charges may be occasionally proposed that could significantly increase the cost of airline operations or reduce the demand for air travel. Although lawmakers may impose these additional fees and view them as “pass-through” costs, a higher total ticket price could influence consumer purchase and travel decisions and may result in an overall decline in passenger traffic, which would harm our business. Additionally, changes in laws and regulations at the local level may be difficult to track and maintain compliance. Any instances of non-compliance could result in additional fines and fees.

*The airline industry continues to face potential security concerns and related costs.*

Terrorist attacks, the fear of such attacks or other hostilities involving the U.S. could have a significant negative effect on the airline industry, including us, and could:

- significantly reduce passenger traffic and yields as a result of a dramatic drop in demand for air travel;
- significantly increase security and insurance costs;
- make war risk or other insurance unavailable or extremely expensive;
- increase fuel costs and the volatility of fuel prices;
- increase costs from airport shutdowns, flight cancellations and delays resulting from security breaches and perceived safety threats; and
- result in a grounding of commercial air traffic by the FAA.

The occurrence of any of these events would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

*The global pandemic caused by COVID-19, and related measures implemented to combat its spread has had, and could continue to have, a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations, financial position and liquidity.*

Our financial condition and results of operations have been, and could continue to be, adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although our operation has largely recovered from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pace of recovery has varied. Our strategies for encouraging air travel or managing future pandemic-related issues, such as a resurgence of adverse health conditions or other factors, may evolve over time and will be responsive to new information or regulatory guidance. At this time, we are unable to predict how COVID-19 will influence future customer behavior, and whether any changes in behavior are temporary or permanent. These new strategies may require further investment, and if not successful, may not generate related revenue to offset these costs.

STRATEGY

*The airline industry is highly competitive and susceptible to price discounting and changes in capacity, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. If we cannot successfully compete in the marketplace, our business, financial condition, and operating results will be materially adversely affected.*

The U.S. airline industry is characterized by substantial competition. Airlines compete for market share through competitive pricing, increasing or decreasing their capacity, route systems and markets served, and products and services offered to guests. We have significant capacity overlap with several of our competitors in locations we serve, particularly in our key West Coast markets. This dynamic may be exacerbated by competition among airlines to attract passengers during periods of economic recovery. The resulting increased competition in both domestic and international markets may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity if we are unable to attract and retain guests.

We strive toward maintaining and improving our competitive cost structure by setting aggressive unit cost-reduction goals. This is an important part of our business strategy of offering the best value to our guests through low fares while achieving acceptable profit margins and return on capital. If we are unable to maintain our cost advantage over the long-term and achieve

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sustained targeted returns on invested capital, we will likely not be able to grow our business in the future or weather industry downturns. Therefore, our financial results may suffer.

*The airline industry may undergo further consolidation or restructuring. In addition, regulatory, policy, and legal developments could impact the extent to which airlines can merge, or form and maintain marketing alliances and joint ventures with other airlines, particularly U.S. carriers. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, and results of operations.*

We continue to face strong competition, mainly from other U.S. carriers. In many instances, our competitors have been able to grow and increase their competitive influence by merging with other airlines, as Alaska did with Virgin America in 2016. Some competitors have also benefited from the ability to reduce their cost structures through the U.S. bankruptcy process and restructuring laws. Competitors have also improved their competitive positions by entering marketing alliances and/or joint ventures with other airlines. Certain airline joint ventures promote competition by allowing airlines to coordinate routes, pool revenues and costs, and enjoy other mutual benefits that can be extended to consumers, achieving many of the benefits of consolidation.

In recent years, the U.S. antitrust authorities have been increasingly reluctant to approve airline mergers, cooperative marketing arrangements, and joint ventures. The proposed joint venture between American Airlines, with which Alaska has its own alliance, and JetBlue is subject to a pending legal challenge that could impact the landscape for other airline ventures. The continuation of merger-averse antitrust policy and/or the finality of legal rulings limiting airline mergers, joint marketing activities, and joint ventures could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial, and results of operations.

*Our concentration in certain markets could cause us to be disproportionately impacted by adverse changes in circumstances in those locations.*

Our strategy involves a high concentration of our business in key West Coast markets. A significant portion of our flights occur to and from our Seattle, Portland, and Bay Area hubs. In 2022, passengers to and from Seattle, Portland, and the Bay Area accounted for 82% of our total guests.

We believe that concentrating our service offerings in this way allows us to maximize our investment in personnel, aircraft and ground facilities, as well as to gain greater advantage from sales and marketing efforts in those regions. As a result, we remain highly dependent on our key markets. Our business could be harmed by any circumstances causing a reduction in demand for air transportation in our key markets. An increase in competition in our key markets could also cause us to reduce fares or take other competitive measures that, if sustained, could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

*We are dependent on a limited number of suppliers for aircraft and parts.*

Alaska is dependent on Boeing as its sole supplier for aircraft and many aircraft parts. Horizon is similarly dependent on Embraer. Additionally, each carrier is dependent on sole suppliers for aircraft engines for each aircraft type. As a result, we are more vulnerable to issues associated with the supply of those aircraft and parts including design defects, mechanical problems, contractual performance by the manufacturers, or adverse perception by the public that would result in customer avoidance or actions by the FAA. Should we be unable to resolve known issues with certain aircraft or engine suppliers, it may result in the inability to operate our aircraft for extended periods. Additionally, if effects of the ongoing supply chain backlog causes our limited vendors to have performance problems, reduced or ceased operations, bankruptcies, workforce shortages, or other events causing them to be unable to fulfill their commitments to us, our operations and business could be materially adversely affected.

Should these suppliers be unable to manufacture, obtain certification for, and deliver new aircraft, we may not be able to grow our fleet at intended rates, which could impact our financial position. Boeing has significant production constraints and regulatory delays for the B737 family of aircraft, which may impact the timing of deliveries. If we are unable to receive these aircraft and future aircraft in a timely manner, our growth plans could be negatively impacted. Additionally, further consolidation amongst aircraft and aircraft parts manufacturers could further limit the number of suppliers. This could result in production instability in the locations in which the aircraft and its parts are manufactured or an inability to operate our aircraft.

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# ***We rely on partner airlines for codeshare and frequent flyer marketing arrangements.***

Our airlines are parties to marketing agreements with a number of domestic and international air carriers, or “partners,” including an expanded relationship with American and other **oneworld** carriers. These agreements provide that certain flight segments operated by us are held out as partner “codeshare” flights and that certain partner flights are held out for sale as Alaska codeshare flights. Refer to Item 1 above for details regarding these codeshare agreements. In addition, the agreements generally provide that members of Alaska’s Mileage Plan program can earn credit on or redeem credit for partner flights and vice versa. We receive revenue from flights sold under codeshare and from interline arrangements. In addition, we believe that the frequent flyer arrangements are an important part of our loyalty program. The loss of a significant partner through bankruptcy, consolidation, or otherwise, could have a negative effect on our revenue or the attractiveness of our Mileage Plan program, which we believe is a source of competitive advantage.

Our membership in the **oneworld** global alliance may limit options to bring non-**oneworld** carrier partners into our Mileage Plan program. Further, maintaining an alliance with another U.S. airline may expose us to additional regulatory scrutiny. Failure to appropriately manage these partnerships and alliances could negatively impact future growth plans and our financial position.

We routinely engage in analysis and discussions regarding our own strategic position, including alliances, codeshare arrangements, interline arrangements, and frequent flyer program enhancements, and will continue to pursue these commercial activities. If other airlines participate in consolidation or reorganization, those airlines may significantly improve their cost structures or revenue generation capabilities, thereby potentially making them stronger competitors of ours and potentially impairing our ability to realize expected benefits from our own strategic relationships.

# ***Economic uncertainty, including a recession, would likely impact demand for our product and could harm our financial condition and results of operations.***

The airline industry, which is subject to relatively high fixed costs and highly variable and unpredictable demand, is particularly sensitive to changes in economic conditions. We are dependent on U.S. consumer confidence and the health of the U.S. economy. Unfavorable U.S. economic conditions have historically resulted in reduced consumer spending and led to decreases in both leisure and business travel. For some consumers, leisure travel is a discretionary expense, and shorter distance travelers, in particular, have the option to replace air travel with surface travel. Businesses are able to forgo air travel by using communication alternatives such as video conferencing or may be more likely to purchase less expensive tickets to reduce costs, which can result in a decrease in average revenue per seat. Unfavorable economic conditions also hamper the ability of airlines to raise fares to counteract increased fuel, labor and other costs. Additionally, reduced consumer spending would adversely impact revenue and cash flows from our co-branded credit card agreements. Unfavorable or even uncertain economic conditions could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations.

# ***TECHNOLOGY***

# ***We rely heavily on automated systems to operate our business, including expanded reliance on systems managed or hosted by third parties. Failure to invest in new technology or a disruption of our current systems or their operators could harm our business.***

We heavily depend on automated systems to operate our business. This includes our airline reservation system, check-in kiosks, website, telecommunication systems, maintenance systems, airline operations control systems, flight deck/route optimization systems, planning and scheduling, mobile applications and devices, and many other systems. These systems require significant investment of employee time and cost for maintenance and upgrades. Some of these systems are operated by government authorities, which limits our ability to switch vendors if issues arise. Failure to appropriately maintain and upgrade these systems may result in service disruptions or system failures. Additionally, as part of our commitment to innovation and providing an attractive guest travel experience, we invest in new technology to ensure our critical systems are reliable, scalable, and secure.

We continue to expand our reliance on third party providers for management or hosting of operational and financial systems. Should these providers fail to meet established service requirements or provide inadequate technical support, we could experience disruptions in our operation, ticketing or financial systems. All of our automated systems cannot be completely protected against events beyond our control, including natural disasters, computer viruses, cyberattacks, other security breaches, or telecommunications failures.

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Substantial or repeated failures or disruptions to any of these critical systems could reduce the attractiveness of our services or cause our guests to do business with another airline. Disruptions, failed implementations, untimely or incomplete recovery, or a breach of these systems or the data centers/cloud infrastructure they run on could result in the loss of important data, an increase in our expenses, loss of revenue, impacts to our operational performance, or a possible temporary cessation of our operations.

Additionally, we rely on the FAA and its systems for critical aspects of flight operations. The failure of these systems could lead to increased delays and inefficiencies in flight operations, resulting in an adverse impact to our financial condition and results of operations.

We continue to monitor emerging technologies, including technologies which may have disruptive impacts which are out of our control, such as the introduction of 5G wireless service. We will continue to work with regulatory agencies and other air carriers to mitigate potential impacts of these technologies on the safety and security of air travel.

*Failure to appropriately comply with evolving and expanding information security rules and regulations or to safeguard our employee or guest data could result in damage to our reputation and cause us to incur substantial legal and regulatory cost.*

As part of our core business, we are required to collect, process, store and share personal and financial information from our guests and employees. Under current or future privacy legislation, we are subject to significant legal risk should we not appropriately protect that data. Our membership in the **oneworld** alliance exposes us to incremental global regulation and therefore risk. In addition, we continue to expand our reliance on third-party software providers and data processors, including cloud providers. Unauthorized access of personal and financial data via fraud or other means of deception could result in data loss, theft, modification, or unauthorized disclosure. To the extent that either we or third parties with whom we share information experience a data breach, fail to appropriately safeguard personal data, or are found to be out of compliance with applicable laws, and regulations, we could be subject to additional litigation, regulatory risks and reputational harm. Further, as regulation of the collection and storage of personal and financial information continues to evolve and increase, we may incur significant costs to bring our systems and processes into compliance.

*Cyber security threats have and will continue to impact our business. Failure to appropriately mitigate these risks could negatively impact our operations, onboard safety, reputation and financial condition.*

Our sensitive information is securely transmitted over public and private networks. Our systems are subject to increasing and evolving cyber security risks. Unauthorized parties have attempted and continue to attempt to gain access to our systems and information, including through fraudulent misrepresentation and other means of deception. Methods used by unauthorized parties are continually evolving and may be difficult to identify. Because of these ever-evolving risks and regular attacks, we continue to review policies and educate our people on various methods utilized in attempts to gain unauthorized access to bolster awareness and encourage cautionary practices. However, the nature of these attacks means that proper policies, technical controls, and education may not be enough to prevent all unauthorized access. Emerging cybercrime threats include the loss of functionality of critical systems through ransomware, denial of service, or other attacks. A compromise of our systems, the security of our infrastructure, or those of our vendors or other business partners that result in our information being accessed or stolen by unauthorized persons could result in substantial costs for response and remediation, adversely affect our operations and our reputation, and expose us to litigation, regulatory enforcement, or other legal action. A cybersecurity attack impacting our onboard or other operational systems may result in an accident or incident onboard or significant operational disruptions, which could adversely affect our reputation, operation and financial position. Further, a significant portion of our office employees have have maintained remote work arrangements, which increases our exposure to cyberattacks, and could compromise our financial or operational systems.

## FINANCIAL CONDITION AND FINANCIAL MARKETS

*Our business, financial condition, and results of operations are substantially exposed to the volatility of jet fuel prices. Significant increases in jet fuel costs or significant disruptions in the supply of jet fuel would harm our business.*

Fuel costs constitute a significant portion of our total operating expenses. Future increases in the price of jet fuel may harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations unless we are able to increase fares and fees or add ancillary services to attempt to recover increasing fuel costs.

We are unable to predict the future supply of jet fuel, which may be impacted by various factors, included but not limited to geopolitical conflict, economic sanctions against oil-producing countries, natural disasters, or staffing and equipment shortages in the oil industry. Any of these factors could adversely impact our operations and financial results.

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*We have a significant amount of debt and fixed obligations. These obligations could lead to liquidity restraints and have a material adverse effect on our financial position. Additionally, increases in interest rates may mean that future borrowings are more costly for the Company, which could harm our future financial results.*

We carry, and will continue to carry for the foreseeable future, a substantial amount of debt and aircraft operating lease commitments. Although we aim to keep our leverage low, due to our high fixed costs, including aircraft lease commitments and debt service, a decrease in revenue would result in a disproportionately greater decrease in earnings. Similarly, a material increase in market interest rates could mean future borrowings are more costly for the Company.

Our outstanding long-term debt and other fixed obligations could have important consequences. For example, they could limit our ability to obtain additional financing to fund our future capital expenditures or working capital; require us to dedicate a material portion of our operating cash flow to fund lease payments and interest payments on indebtedness, thereby reducing funds available for other purposes; or limit our ability to withstand competitive pressures and reduce our flexibility in responding to changing business and economic conditions. Further, should we incur incremental obligations, issuers may require future debt agreements to contain more restrictive covenants or require additional collateral beyond historical market terms which may further restrict our ability to successfully access capital.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company, Alaska, Horizon, and McGee entered agreements with the United States Department of the Treasury (Treasury) to secure financing under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Payroll Support Program (PSP). In addition to our financial commitments under the CARES PSP program, we remain subject to limitations on compensation and severance payments for officers and employees who earned more than $425,000 in total compensation in 2019 through April 1, 2023. This may adversely affect the Company’s profitability, our ability to negotiate favorable terms with loyalty partners, our attractiveness to investors, and our ability to compensate at market-competitive levels and retain key personnel.

Although we have historically been able to generate sufficient cash flow from our operations to pay our debt and other fixed obligations when they become due, we cannot ensure we will be able to do so in the future. If we fail to do so, our business could be harmed.

*Our maintenance costs will increase as our fleet ages, and we will periodically incur substantial maintenance costs due to the timing of maintenance events of our aircraft.*

As of December 31, 2022, the average age of our Boeing Next Gen passenger aircraft (B737-700, -800, -900, -900ERs) was approximately 11.9 years, the average age of our B737-9 was approximately 0.8 years, the average age of our A321neo aircraft was approximately 4.7 years, and the average age of our owned E175 aircraft was approximately 4.2 years. Typically, our newer aircraft require less maintenance than they will in the future. Any significant increase in maintenance expenses could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, expenses for aircraft coming off lease could result in incremental maintenance expense as we are required to return leased planes in a contractually specified condition.

*The application of the acquisition method of accounting resulted in us recording goodwill, which could result in significant future impairment charges and negatively affect our financial results.*

In accordance with acquisition accounting rules, we recorded goodwill on our consolidated balance sheet to the extent the Virgin America acquisition purchase price exceeded the net fair value of Virgin America’s tangible and identifiable intangible assets and liabilities as of the acquisition date. Goodwill is not amortized, but is tested for impairment at least annually. We could record impairment charges in our results of operations as a result of, among other items, extreme fuel price volatility, a significant decline in the fair value of certain tangible or intangible assets, unfavorable trends in forecasted results of operations and cash flows, uncertain economic environment and other uncertainties. We can provide no assurance that a significant impairment charge will not occur in one or more future periods. Any such charges may materially affect our financial results.

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## BRAND AND REPUTATION

*As we evolve our brand we will engage in strategic initiatives that may not be favorably received by all of our guests.*

We continue to focus on strategic initiatives designed to increase our brand appeal to a diverse and evolving demographic of airline travelers. These efforts could include significant enhancements to our in-airport and on-board environments, increasing our direct customer relationships through improvements to our purchasing portals (digital and mobile) and optimization of our customer loyalty programs. In pursuit of these efforts we may negatively affect our reputation with some of our existing customer base.

*The Company's brand and reputation could be harmed if it is exposed to significant negative publicity.*

We operate in a highly visible industry that has significant exposure to social media and other media channels. Negative publicity, including as a result of misconduct by our guests or employees, failure to address our environmental, social, and governance goals, or other circumstances, can spread rapidly through such channels. Should the Company not respond in a timely and appropriate manner to address negative publicity, the Company's brand and reputation may be significantly harmed. Such harm could have a negative impact on our financial results.

## PEOPLE AND LABOR STRATEGY

*A significant increase in labor costs, unsuccessful attempts to strengthen our relationships with union employees, or loss of key personnel could adversely affect our business and results of operations.*

Labor costs remain a significant component of our total expenses. In addition to costs associated with represented employee groups, labor costs could also increase for non-unionized employees and via vendor agreements as we work to compete for highly skilled and qualified employees against the major U.S. airlines and other businesses in a competitive job market. Labor costs have recently increased significantly driven by inflationary pressure on wages.

Ongoing and periodic negotiations with labor unions could result in job actions, such as slow-downs, sick-outs, or other actions designed to disrupt normal operations and pressure the employer to acquiesce to bargaining demands during negotiations. Although unlawful until after lengthy mediation attempts, the operation could be significantly impacted. Although we have a long track record of fostering good communications, negotiating approaches, and developing other strategies to enhance workforce engagement in our long-term vision, unsuccessful attempts to strengthen relationships with union employees could divert management's attention from other projects and issues and negatively impact the business. In addition, our bargained-for labor agreement terms for flight crew are increasingly coming into conflict with state and local laws purporting to govern benefits and duties.

Our executive officers and other senior management personnel are critical to the long-term success of our business. If we experience significant turnover and loss of key personnel, and fail to find suitable replacements with comparable skills, our performance could be adversely impacted.

*The inability to attract, retain and train qualified personnel, or maintain our culture, could result in guest impacts and adversely affect our business and results of operations.*

We compete against other major U.S. airlines for pilots, aircraft technicians and other labor. Recently, there have been shortages of pilots for hire in the regional market and more pilots in the industry are approaching mandatory retirement age. Attrition beyond normal levels, or the inability to attract new pilots, could negatively impact our results of operations. The shortage of pilots and opportunities at other carriers could mean that our captains and first officers leave our airlines more often than forecast. Additionally, the industry, including related vendor partners, has experienced and may continue to experience challenges in hiring and retaining other labor positions, such as aircraft technicians, ground handling and customer service agents, and flight attendants. The Company's or our vendor partners' inability to attract and retain personnel for these positions could negatively impact our results of operations, which may harm our growth plans. Additionally, we may be required to increase our wage and benefit packages, or pay increased rates to our vendors, to retain these positions. This would result in increased overall costs and may adversely impact our guest experience and financial position.

Our success is also dependent on cultivating and maintaining a unified culture with cohesive values and goals. Much of our continued success is tied to our guest loyalty. Failure to maintain and grow the Alaska culture could strain our ability to maintain relationships with guests, suppliers, employees and other constituencies. As part of this process, we may continue to incur substantial costs for employee programs.

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## REGULATION

*Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for most legal actions involving actions brought against us by stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees.*

Our certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the DGCL, or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This exclusive forum provision is intended to apply to claims arising under Delaware state law and would not apply to claims brought pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. The exclusive forum provision in our certificate of incorporation will not relieve us of our duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations.

This exclusive forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. In addition, stockholders who do bring a claim in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near Delaware. The Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to our company than to our stockholders.

## ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

## ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

### AIRCRAFT

The following table describes the aircraft we operate and their average age at December 31, 2022:

| Aircraft Type (a) | Seats | Owned | Leased | Total | Average Age in Years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| B737 Freighters | - | 3 | - | 3 | 21.9 |
| B737 Next Gen | 124-178 | 153 | 10 | 163 | 11.9 |
| B737-9 | 178 | 27 | 10 | 37 | 0.8 |
| A320 | 150 | - | 12 | 12 | 13.2 |
| A321neo | 190 | - | 10 | 10 | 4.7 |
| Total Mainline Fleet |  | 183 | 42 | 225 | 10.0 |
| Q400 | 76 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 12.9 |
| E175 | 76 | 33 | 42 | 75 | 4.5 |
| Total Regional Fleet |  | 43 | 43 | 86 | 5.6 |
| Total |  | 226 | 85 | 311 | 8.8 |

(a) The table above does not include 24 Airbus and 21 Q400 non-operating aircraft, which have been permanently removed from operating service as of January 2023.

“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” discusses future orders and options for additional aircraft. “Liquidity and Capital Resources” provides more information about aircraft that are used to secure long-

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term debt arrangements or collateralize credit facilities. Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements provides more information regarding leased aircraft as capitalized on our consolidated balance sheets.

Alaska’s leased B737 Next Gen aircraft have lease expiration dates between 2026 and 2028. Alaska’s leased B737-9 aircraft have lease expiration dates between 2031 and 2034. Alaska’s leased A319 and A320 aircraft have lease expiration dates between 2023 and 2025, including those aircraft that have been permanently removed from our operating fleet, but have not been returned to lessors. A321neo aircraft have lease expiration dates between 2029 and 2031. Horizon’s leased Q400 aircraft have lease expiration dates in 2023. The leased E175 aircraft support Alaska’s capacity purchase agreement with SkyWest, and are under agreement through 2034. Alaska has the option to extend some of the leases for additional periods.

## GROUND FACILITIES AND SERVICES

In various cities in the state of Alaska, we own terminal buildings and hangars. We also own or lease several buildings located at or near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). These include a multi-bay hangar and shops complex (used primarily for line maintenance), a flight operations and training center, an air cargo facility, a data center, and various other commercial office buildings.

At the majority of the airports we serve, we lease ticket counters, gates, cargo and baggage space, ground equipment, office space, and other support areas. Airport leases contain provisions for periodic adjustments of lease rates. We are typically responsible for maintenance, insurance and other facility-related expenses and services under these agreements. We also lease operations, training, administrative, and data center facilities in Burlingame, CA; Long Beach, CA; Portland, OR; Puyallup, WA; Quincy, WA; Renton, WA; Seattle, WA; and Spokane, WA, call center facilities in SeaTac, WA; Phoenix, AZ; and Boise, ID, and hangars in Portland, OR and Everett, WA.

## ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Company is a party to various litigation matters incidental to our business. Other than as described in Note 10 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Management believes the ultimate outcome of these matters is not likely to materially affect our financial position or results of operations.

## ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

# PART II

## ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

As of December 31, 2022, there were 136,883,042 shares of common stock of Alaska Air Group, Inc. issued, 127,533,916 shares outstanding, and 2,394 shareholders of record. In March 2020, the Company suspended the payment of dividends indefinitely. Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: ALK).

### SALES OF NON-REGISTERED SECURITIES

None.

### PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS

Historically, the Company purchased shares pursuant to a $1 billion repurchase plan authorized by the Board of Directors in August 2015. In March 2020, subject to restrictions under the CARES Act, the Company suspended the share repurchase program indefinitely; these restrictions ended on October 1, 2022. In December 2022, the Company announced plans to resume share repurchases in early 2023. The plan has remaining authorization to purchase an additional $456 million in shares.

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## PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The following graph compares our cumulative total stockholder return since December 31, 2017 with the S&P 500 Index and the NYSE ARCA Airline Index. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in our common stock and each index (including reinvestment of dividends) was $100 on December 31, 2017.

### Comparison of 5 year Cumulative Total Return

![img-0.jpeg](img-0.jpeg)

## ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

None.

## ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

### OVERVIEW

The following Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) is intended to help the reader understand our company, our operations and our present business environment. MD&A is provided as a supplement to - and should be read in conjunction with - our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. All statements in the following discussion that are not statements of historical information or descriptions of current accounting policy are forward-looking statements. Please consider our forward-looking statements in light of the risks referred to in this report's introductory cautionary note and the risks mentioned in Part I, 'Item 1A. Risk Factors.' This overview summarizes the MD&A, which includes the following sections:

- *Year in Review*-highlights from 2022 outlining some of the major events that happened during the year and how they affected our financial performance.

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The Company has elected the practical expedient under ASC 842 - Leases, allowing a policy election to exclude from recognition short-term lease assets and lease liabilities for leases with an initial term of twelve months or less. Such expense was not material for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.

Operating lease assets balance by asset class was as follows (in millions):

|  | December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aircraft | $701 | $782 |
| CPA Aircraft | 683 | 600 |
| Airport and terminal facilities | 21 | 16 |
| Corporate real estate and other | 66 | 55 |
| Total Operating Lease Assets | $1,471 | $1,453 |

### *Aircraft*

At December 31, 2022, Alaska had operating leases for ten B737-800, ten B737-9, four A319, 32 A320, and ten A321neo aircraft. No A319 or A320 aircraft leases had remaining asset balances. Four A319 and 20 A320 aircraft, not operating at December 31, 2022, are still awaiting return to the lessor. Alaska is currently evaluating options for the A321neo leases. Remaining lease terms for B737 aircraft extend up to 12 years and remaining lease terms for A321neo aircraft extend up to nine years. Some leases have options to extend, subject to negotiation at the end of the term. As extension is not certain, and rates are highly likely to be renegotiated, the extended term is only capitalized when it is reasonably determinable. Horizon had operating leases for six Q400 aircraft. Of these, five, which were not operating at December 31, 2022, are awaiting return to the lessor and had no remaining asset balance. While aircraft rent is primarily fixed, certain leases contain rental adjustments throughout the lease term which would be recognized as variable expense as incurred. Variable lease expense for aircraft for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 was $10 million, $5 million, and $1 million.

### *Capacity purchase agreements with aircraft (CPA aircraft)*

At December 31, 2022, Alaska had CPAs with two carriers, including the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Horizon. Horizon sells 100% of its capacity under a CPA with Alaska. Alaska also has a CPA with SkyWest covering 42 E175 aircraft to fly certain routes in the Lower 48 and Canada. Under these agreements, Alaska pays the carriers an amount which is based on a determination of their cost of operating those flights and other factors intended to approximate market rates for those services. As Horizon is a wholly-owned subsidiary, intercompany leases between Alaska and Horizon have not been recognized under the standard.

Remaining lease terms for CPA aircraft extend up to 12 years. Financial arrangements of the CPAs include a fixed component, representing the costs to operate each aircraft which is capitalized. CPAs also include variable rent based on actual levels of flying, which is expensed as incurred. Variable lease expense for CPA aircraft for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 was not material.

### *Airport and terminal facilities*

The Company leases ticket counters, gates, cargo and baggage space, lounge space, office space and other support areas at numerous airports. For this asset class, the Company has elected to combine lease and non-lease components. The majority of airport and terminal facility leases are not capitalized because they do not meet the definition of controlled assets under the standard, or because the lease payments are entirely variable. For airports where leased assets are identified, and where the contract includes fixed lease payments, operating lease assets and lease liabilities have been recorded. The Company is also commonly responsible for maintenance, insurance and other facility-related expenses and services under these agreements. These costs are recognized as variable expense in the period incurred. Airport and terminal facilities variable lease expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 was $381 million, $377 million, and $286 million.

Starting in 2018, the Company leased twelve airport slots at LaGuardia Airport and eight airport slots at Reagan National Airport to a third party. Starting in 2022, the Company leased one airport gate at Dallas Love Field Airport to a third party. For these leases, the Company recorded $15 million, $16 million, and $14 million of lease income during the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.

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### *Corporate real estate and other leases*

Leased corporate real estate is primarily for office space in hub cities, training centers, land leases, and reservation centers. For this asset class, the Company has elected to combine lease and non-lease components under the standard. Other leased assets are comprised of other ancillary contracts and items including leased flight simulators, ground equipment, and spare engines. Variable lease expense related to corporate real estate and other leases for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2019 was $27 million, $17 million, and $12 million.

### *Sale-leaseback transaction*

In 2020, Alaska entered into a transaction to sell ten owned A320 aircraft and replace those aircraft with 13 new leased B737-9 aircraft. Also included in the transaction was the leaseback of all ten A320 aircraft in the interim period between the sale of those aircraft and delivery of the first ten B737-9 aircraft. As of December 31, 2022, the leases for the ten A320 aircraft were terminated and the aircraft had no remaining asset balance.

In 2022, Alaska executed an agreement to sell two owned B737-800 aircraft to be converted into freighters and leased back to Alaska. The sale to the lessor, conversions, and subsequent delivery of these aircraft to Alaska are all expected to occur in 2023 and 2024, and as a result there were no amounts recorded related to this transaction for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022.

### *Components of Lease Expense*

The impact of leases, including variable lease cost, was as follows (in millions):

|  | Classification | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Expense |  |  |  |  |
| Aircraft (a) | Aircraft rent | $191 | $174 | $215 |
| CPA Aircraft | Aircraft rent | 100 | 80 | 80 |
| Airport and terminal facilities | Landing fees and other rentals | 384 | 379 | 288 |
| Corporate real estate and other | Landing fees and other rentals | 33 | 21 | 19 |
| Total lease expense |  | $708 | $654 | $602 |
| Revenue |  |  |  |  |
| Lease income | Cargo and other revenue | (15) | (16) | (14) |
| Net lease impact |  | $693 | $638 | $588 |

(a) Aircraft lease expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 does not include the portion of aircraft rent that was accelerated due to the fleet transition decision and recorded within the Special items - fleet transition and other line within the consolidated statement of operations. Refer to Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

### *Supplemental Cash Flow Information*

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company paid $354 million for capitalized operating leases. The Company also acquired $461 million of operating lease assets in exchange for assumption of the same total of operating lease liabilities, inclusive of lease extensions.

### *Lease Term and Discount Rate*

As most leases do not provide an implicit interest rate, the Company generally utilizes the incremental borrowing rate (IBR) based on information available at the commencement date of the lease to determine the present value of lease payments. The weighted average IBR and weighted average remaining lease term (in years) for all asset classes were as follows at December 31, 2022.

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|  | Weighted Average IBR | Weighted Average Remaining Lease term |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aircraft | 4.4% | 7.9 |
| CPA Aircraft | 7.0% | 8.8 |
| Airports and terminal facilities | 4.4% | 7.9 |
| Corporate real estate and other | 4.7% | 27.5 |

### *Maturities of Lease Liabilities*

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable leases as of December 31, 2022 (in millions):

|  | Aircraft (a) | CPA Aircraft | Airport and Terminal Facilities | Corporate Real Estate and Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2023 | $173 | $112 | $3 | $17 |
| 2024 | 118 | 112 | 3 | 7 |
| 2025 | 113 | 112 | 3 | 6 |
| 2026 | 110 | 112 | 3 | 6 |
| 2027 | 106 | 112 | 3 | 5 |
| Thereafter | 356 | 385 | 10 | 88 |
| Total Lease Payments (b) | $976 | $945 | $25 | $129 |
| Less: Imputed interest | (156) | (238) | (4) | (61) |
| Total | $820 | $707 | $21 | $68 |

(a) Future minimum lease payments for aircraft includes commitments for aircraft which have been removed from operating service as the Company remains obligated under existing terms.

(b) Future minimum lease payments in the table above are inclusive of incentive credits related to leased B737-9 aircraft. As a result, the operating lease liabilities presented on the consolidated balance sheet exceed total future payments. This difference will exist until all leased B737-9 aircraft are delivered.

As of December 31, 2022, we have entered into but not yet commenced leases for B737-9 aircraft, B737-800 freighter aircraft, E175 aircraft, as well as real estate. The liabilities associated with these leases are expected to be approximately $213 million. These leases will commence between 2023 and 2027 with lease terms ranging from 2028 to 2042.

## **NOTE 8. INCOME TAXES**

### *Deferred Income Taxes*

Deferred income taxes reflect the impact of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and such amounts for tax purposes. The Company has a net deferred tax liability, primarily due to differences in depreciation rates for federal income tax purposes and for financial reporting purposes.

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Deferred tax (assets) and liabilities comprise the following (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Excess of tax over book depreciation | $1,312 | $1,145 |
| Intangibles - net | 17 | 19 |
| Operating lease assets | 356 | 351 |
| Other - net | 49 | 76 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | 1,734 | 1,591 |
| Mileage Plan | (436) | (416) |
| Inventory obsolescence | (21) | (17) |
| Employee benefits | (145) | (127) |
| Net operating losses | (28) | (25) |
| Operating lease liabilities | (392) | (374) |
| Leasehold maintenance | (67) | (40) |
| Other - net | (88) | (34) |
| Deferred tax assets | (1,177) | (1,033) |
| Valuation allowance | 17 | 20 |
| Net deferred tax liabilities | $574 | $578 |

At December 31, 2022, the Company has paid taxes of $38 million and does not expect to pay any additional tax for 2022. The Company received $285 million in federal tax refunds as a result of carrying back losses from the 2020 tax year and other various amendments of prior year tax returns. The Company also received $10 million in a refund for an overpayment on their 2021 Federal Form 1120 and an additional $12 million in cash was received for various state amended returns. The Company also has gross state NOLs of approximately $325 million that expire beginning in 2027 and continuing through 2042.

Valuation allowances are provided to reduce the related deferred income tax assets to an amount which will, more likely than not, be realized. The Company assesses available positive and negative evidence regarding the ability to realize its deferred tax assets. The Company has determined that, based on evidence, a portion of the state NOL carryforward may not be realized and, therefore, has provided a valuation allowance of $17 million for that portion as of December 31, 2022. The Company has likewise concluded it is more likely than not that all of its federal and the remaining state deferred income tax assets will be realized and thus no additional valuation allowance has been recorded. The Company reassesses the need for a valuation allowance each reporting period.

#### *Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit)*

The components of income tax expense (benefit) are as follows (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Current income tax expense (benefit): |  |  |  |
| Federal | $(11) | $40 | $(212) |
| State | (3) | 16 | (11) |
| Total current income tax expense (benefit) | (14) | 56 | (223) |
| Deferred income tax expense (benefit): |  |  |  |
| Federal | 32 | 80 | (246) |
| State | 3 | 15 | (47) |
| Total deferred income tax expense (benefit) | 35 | 95 | (293) |
| Income tax expense (benefit) | $21 | $151 | $(516) |

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### *Income Tax Rate Reconciliation*

Income tax expense (benefit) reconciles to the amount computed by applying the 2022 U.S. federal rate of 21% to income (loss) before income tax and for deferred taxes as follows (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Income (loss) before income tax | $79 | $629 | $(1,840) |
| Expected tax expense (benefit) | 17 | 132 | (386) |
| Nondeductible expenses | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| State income tax expense (benefit) | 5 | 20 | (62) |
| Tax law changes | - | (14) | (93) |
| Valuation allowance | (4) | 1 | 18 |
| Tax credits | (5) | (2) | - |
| FIN48 reserve change | (3) | 3 | (2) |
| Other - net | - | 1 | - |
| Actual tax expense (benefit) | $21 | $151 | $(516) |
| Effective tax rate (a) | 26.2% | 24.0% | 28.0% |

(a) Figures in the table above are rounded to the nearest million. As a result, a manual recalculation of the effective tax rate for 2022 using these rounded figures will not agree directly to the Company's actual effective tax rate for 2022 of 26.2%.

In 2021, the Company recorded a current tax benefit of $14 million as a result of provisions outlined in the CARES Act. In 2020, as a result of tax changes signed into law during 2017, with final regulations issued in 2019, the Company recorded a current tax benefit of $93 million.

### *Uncertain Tax Positions*

The Company has identified its federal tax return and its state tax returns in Alaska, Oregon and California as 'major' tax jurisdictions. A summary of the Company's jurisdictions and the periods that are subject to examination are as follows:

| Jurisdiction | Period |
| --- | --- |
| Federal | 2007 to 2021 |
| Alaska | 2018 to 2021 |
| California | 2007 to 2021 |
| Oregon | 2015 to 2021 |

Certain tax years are open to the extent of net operating loss carryforwards.

Changes in the liability for gross unrecognized tax benefits during 2022, 2021 and 2020 are as follows (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Balance at January 1 | $41 | $35 | $40 |
| Additions related to prior years | - | 3 | 1 |
| Releases related to prior years | (1) | - | (1) |
| Additions related to current year activity | 1 | 3 | - |
| Releases due to settlements | (20) | - | (4) |
| Releases due to lapse of statute of limitations | - | - | (1) |
| Balance at December 31 | $21 | $41 | $35 |

As of December 31, 2022, the Company had $21 million of accrued tax contingencies, of which $19 million, if fully recognized, would decrease the effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company has accrued interest and penalties, net of federal income tax benefit, of $3 million, $8 million, and $6 million. In 2022, 2021, and 2020, the Company recognized a benefit of $5 million, expense of $2 million, and benefit of $1 million, for interest and penalties, net of

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federal income tax. At December 31, 2022, the Company has unrecognized tax benefits recorded as a liability. The Company decreased its reserves for uncertain tax positions in 2022 by $20 million, primarily due to settlements on state income taxes. These uncertain tax positions could change because of the Company's ongoing audits, settlement of issues, new audits, and status of other taxpayer court cases. The Company cannot predict the timing of these actions. Due to the positions being taken in various jurisdictions, the amounts currently accrued are the Company's best estimate as of December 31, 2022.

## NOTE 9. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Four qualified defined-benefit plans, one non-qualified defined-benefit plan, and seven defined-contribution retirement plans cover various employee groups of Alaska, Horizon, and McGee Air Services.

The defined-benefit plans provide benefits based on an employee's term of service and average compensation for a specified period of time before retirement. The qualified defined-benefit pension plans are closed to new entrants.

Accounting standards require recognition of the overfunded or underfunded status of an entity's defined-benefit pension and other post-retirement plan as an asset or liability in the consolidated financial statements and requires recognition of the funded status in AOCL.

### *Qualified Defined-Benefit Pension Plans*

The Company's four qualified defined-benefit pension plans are funded as required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The defined-benefit plan assets consist primarily of marketable equity and fixed-income securities. The work groups covered by qualified defined-benefit pension plans include salaried employees, pilots, clerical, office, passenger service employees, mechanics, and related craft employees. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for these plans. All plans are closed to new entrants.

### *Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:*

The rates below vary by plan and related work group.

|  | 2022 | 2021 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Discount rates | 5.41% to 5.42% | 2.82% to 2.90% |
| Rate of compensation increases | 2.01% to 2.35% | 2.02% to 2.38% |

### *Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:*

The rates below vary by plan and related work group.

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Discount rates | 2.82% to 2.90% | 2.43% to 2.58% | 3.33% to 3.47% |
| Expected return on plan assets | 3.00% to 5.25% | 3.00% to 5.50% | 3.25% to 5.50% |
| Rate of compensation increases | 2.02% to 2.38% | 2.02% to 2.43% | 2.11% to 5.44% |

The discount rates are determined using current interest rates earned on high-quality, long-term bonds with maturities that correspond with the estimated cash distributions from the pension plans. At December 31, 2022, the Company selected discount rates for each of the plans using a pool of higher-yielding bonds estimated to be more reflective of settlement rates, as management has taken steps to ultimately terminate or settle plans that are frozen and move toward freezing benefits in active plans in the future. In determining the expected return on plan assets, the Company assesses the current level of expected returns on risk-free investments (primarily government bonds), the historical level of the risk premium associated with the other asset classes in which the portfolio is invested and the expectations for future returns of each asset class. The expected return for each asset class is then weighted based on the target asset allocation to develop the expected long-term rate of return on assets assumption for the portfolio.

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Plan assets are invested in common commingled trust funds invested in equity and fixed income securities and in certain real estate assets. The target and actual asset allocation of the funds in the qualified defined-benefit plans, by asset category, are as follows:

|  | Salaried Plan (a) |  |  | All Other Plans |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Target | 2022 | 2021 | Target | 2022 | 2021 |
| Asset category: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Domestic equity securities | 2%-12% | 7% | 7% | 29%-39% | 35% | 38% |
| Non-U.S. equity securities | 0%-8% | 3% | 3% | 9%-19% | 15% | 16% |
| Fixed income securities | 85%-95% | 90% | 90% | 37%-57% | 45% | 42% |
| Real estate | -% | - % | - % | -%-10% | 5% | 4% |
| Plan assets |  | 100% | 100% |  | 100% | 100% |

(a) As our Salaried Plan is frozen and fully funded, our investment strategies differ significantly from that of our other outstanding plans. Investments are in lower-risk securities, with earnings designed to maintain a fully-funded status.

The Company's investment policy focuses on achieving maximum returns at a reasonable risk for pension assets over a full market cycle. The Company determines the strategic allocation between equities, fixed income and real estate based on current funded status and other characteristics of the plans. As the funded status improves, the Company increases the fixed income allocation of the portfolio and decreases the equity allocation. Actual asset allocations are reviewed regularly and periodically rebalanced as appropriate.

Plan assets invested in common commingled trust funds are fair valued using the net asset values of these funds to determine fair value as allowed using the practical expedient method outlined in the accounting standards. Fair value estimates for real estate are calculated using the present value of expected future cash flows based on independent appraisals, local market conditions and current and projected operating performance.

Plan assets by fund category (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 | Fair Value Hierarchy |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fund type: |  |  |  |
| U.S. equity market fund | $568 | $885 | 1 |
| Non-U.S. equity fund | 242 | 370 | 1 |
| Credit bond index fund | 1,001 | 1,342 | 1 |
| Plan assets in common commingled trusts | $1,811 | $2,597 |  |
| Real estate | 76 | 92 | (a) |
| Cash equivalents | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| Total plan assets | $1,894 | $2,695 |  |

(a) In accordance with Subtopic 820-10, certain investments that are measured at net asset value per share (or its equivalent) have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy.

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The following table sets forth the status of the qualified defined-benefit pension plans (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Projected benefit obligation (PBO) |  |  |
| Beginning of year | $2,758 | $2,934 |
| Service cost | 46 | 56 |
| Interest cost | 66 | 56 |
| Plan amendments (a) | 9 | - |
| Actuarial (gain)/loss | (628) | (171) |
| Benefits paid | (172) | (117) |
| End of year | $2,079 | $2,758 |
| Plan assets at fair value |  |  |
| Beginning of year | $2,695 | $2,488 |
| Actual return on plan assets | (629) | 224 |
| Employer contributions | - | 100 |
| Benefits paid | (172) | (117) |
| End of year | $1,894 | $2,695 |
| Unfunded status | $(185) | $(63) |
| Percent funded | 91% | 98% |

(a) In conjunction with the 2022 collective bargaining agreement with ALPA, certain participants had credited service restored for leave periods which were previously ineligible for accrual.

The accumulated benefit obligation for the combined qualified defined-benefit pension plans was $2.0 billion and $2.7 billion at December 31, 2022 and 2021. During 2022 actuarial gains decreased the benefit obligation primarily due to the increase in discount rates, offset by changes in demographic assumptions. Plan assets also decreased in 2022 on negative returns on plan assets.

The amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Accrued benefit liability-long term | $(240) | $(155) |
| Plan assets-long term (within Other noncurrent assets) | 55 | 92 |
| Total liability recognized | $(185) | $(63) |

The amounts not yet reflected in net periodic benefit cost and included in AOCL (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Prior service cost (credit) | $6 | $(4) |
| Net loss | 438 | 316 |
| Amount recognized in AOCL (pretax) | $444 | $312 |

Defined benefit plans with projected benefit obligations and accumulated benefit obligations exceeding fair value of plan assets are as follows (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Projected benefit obligation | $1,332 | $1,750 |
| Accumulated benefit obligation | 1,267 | 1,685 |
| Fair value of plan assets | 1,092 | 1,595 |

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Net pension expense for the qualified defined-benefit plans included the following components (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Service cost | $45 | $52 | $46 |
| Interest cost | 65 | 56 | 75 |
| Restructuring charges (a) | - | - | 11 |
| Expected return on assets | (128) | (122) | (110) |
| Amortization of prior service credit | (1) | (1) | (1) |
| Recognized actuarial loss | 8 | 37 | 35 |
| Net pension expense (benefit) | $(11) | $22 | $56 |

(a) In conjunction with the workforce reductions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company recorded additional expense for employees accepting incentive leaves of absence. Such expense is included in Special items - restructuring charges on the consolidated statement of operations for the year-ended December 31, 2020.

There are no current statutory funding requirements for the Company’s plans in 2023.

Future benefits expected to be paid over the next ten years under the qualified defined-benefit pension plans from the assets of those plans (in millions):

|  | Total |
| --- | --- |
| 2023 | $116 |
| 2024 | 114 |
| 2025 | 133 |
| 2026 | 142 |
| 2027 | 156 |
| 2028-2032 | 835 |

#### *Nonqualified Defined-Benefit Pension Plan*

Alaska also maintains an unfunded, noncontributory defined-benefit plan for certain elected officers. This plan uses a December 31 measurement date. The assumptions used to determine benefit obligations and the net periodic benefit cost for the nonqualified defined-benefit pension plan are similar to those used to calculate the qualified defined-benefit pension plan. The plan's unfunded status, PBO, and accumulated benefit obligation are immaterial. The net pension expense in prior year and expected future expense is also immaterial.

#### *Post-retirement Medical Benefits*

The Company allows certain retirees to continue their medical, dental and vision benefits by paying all or a portion of the active employee plan premium until eligible for Medicare, currently age 65. This results in a subsidy to retirees, because the premiums received by the Company are less than the actual cost of the retirees’ claims. The accumulated post-retirement benefit obligation for this subsidy is unfunded. The accumulated post-retirement benefit obligation was $89 million and $125 million at December 31, 2022 and 2021. The net periodic benefit cost was not material in 2022 or 2021.

#### *Defined-Contribution Plans*

The seven defined-contribution plans are deferred compensation plans under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. All of these plans require Company contributions. Total expense for the defined-contribution plans was $160 million, $125 million and $126 million in 2022, 2021, and 2020.

The Company also has a noncontributory, unfunded defined-contribution plan for certain elected officers of the Company who are ineligible for the nonqualified defined-benefit pension plan. Amounts recorded as liabilities under the plan are not material to the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2022 and 2021.

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# *Pilot Long-term Disability Benefits*

Alaska maintains a long-term disability plan for its pilots. The long-term disability plan does not have a service requirement. Therefore, the liability is calculated based on estimated future benefit payments associated with pilots that were assumed to be disabled on a long-term basis as of December 31, 2022 and does not include any assumptions for future disability. The liability includes the discounted expected future benefit payments and medical costs. The total liability was $69 million and $77 million, which was recorded net of a prefunded trust account of $11 million and $8 million, and included in long-term other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.

# *Employee Incentive-Pay Plans*

The Company has employee incentive plans that pay employees based on certain financial and operational metrics. These metrics are set and approved annually by the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee of the Board of Directors. The aggregate expense under these plans in 2022, 2021 and 2020 was $257 million, $151 million and $130 million. The incentive plans are summarized below.

- *Performance-Based Pay* (PBP) is a program that rewards the majority of Alaska and Horizon employees. The program is based on various metrics that adjust periodically, including those related to Air Group profitability, costs, cash flow, safety, and sustainability. The program also includes the potential for additional payout if Air Group profitability finishes among the highest in the industry.
- The *Operational Performance Rewards Program* (OPR) entitles the majority of Alaska and Horizon employees to quarterly payouts of up to $450 per person if certain monthly operational, customer service, and safety objectives are met.

# **NOTE 10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES**

Future minimum payments for commitments as of the date of this filing (in millions):

|  | Aircraft Commitments (a) | Capacity Purchase Agreements and Other Obligations (b) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2023 | $1,846 | $209 |
| 2024 | 1,580 | 216 |
| 2025 | 1,262 | 220 |
| 2026 | 689 | 217 |
| 2027 | 337 | 218 |
| Thereafter | 606 | 739 |
| Total | $6,320 | $1,819 |

(a) Includes contractual commitments for aircraft, engines, and aircraft maintenance. Option deliveries are excluded from minimum commitments until exercise.

(b) Primarily comprised of nonlease costs associated with capacity purchase agreements, as well as other various sponsorship agreements and investment commitments.

# *Aircraft Commitments*

Aircraft purchase commitments include non-cancelable contractual commitments for aircrafts and engines. In 2022, Alaska executed an agreement with Boeing to exercise options to purchase 52 B737 aircraft for delivery between 2024 and 2027. The agreement also secures rights for 105 additional aircraft through 2030. Also in 2022, Horizon amended its aircraft purchase agreement with Embraer, adding eight firm E175 deliveries between 2023 and 2026 and 13 options to purchase additional aircraft with deliveries between 2025 and 2026. The aircraft covered by the amendment may be assigned by Horizon to another entity. Horizon intends to take delivery of and operate all firm E175 aircraft.

Details for contractual aircraft commitments and other rights as of December 31, 2022 are outlined in the table below:

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| Aircraft Type | Firm Orders | Options and Other Rights | Total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 2023-2027 | 2025-2030 | 2023-2030 |
| B737 | 105 | 105 | 210 |
| E175 | 17 | 13 | 30 |
| Total | 122 | 118 | 240 |

Alaska has received information from Boeing indicating that certain B737 deliveries in 2023 are expected to be delayed to 2024. The fleet commitments outlined above reflect the expected impact of these delays. Alaska will continue to work with Boeing on delivery timelines that support Alaska's plans for growth.

### *Aircraft Maintenance*

Aircraft maintenance commitments include contractual commitments for engine maintenance agreements requiring monthly payments based upon utilization, such as flight hours, cycles, and age of the aircraft. In turn, these maintenance agreements transfer certain risks to the third-party service provider. Alaska has a contract for maintenance on its B737-800 aircraft engines through 2033. In 2022, Alaska entered into a contract for maintenance on its B737-900ER aircraft engines with minimum payments effective 2023 through 2033. Horizon has a contract for maintenance on its E175 aircraft engines through 2033.

### *Contingencies*

The Company is a party to routine litigation matters incidental to its business and with respect to which no material liability is expected. Liabilities for litigation related contingencies are recorded when a loss is determined to be probable and estimable.

In 2015, three flight attendants filed a class action lawsuit seeking to represent all Virgin America flight attendants for damages based on alleged violations of California and City of San Francisco wage and hour laws. The court certified a class of approximately 1,800 flight attendants in November 2016. The Company pursued numerous appeal paths following a February 2019 federal district court order against Virgin America and Alaska Airlines awarding plaintiffs approximately $78 million including approximately $25 million in penalties under California's Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). An appellate court reversed portions of the lower court decision and significantly reduced the PAGA penalties and total judgment value, remanding the matter to the district court for further consideration. In December 2022, the district court issued a final total judgment amount of $31 million. Additional proceedings will determine the attorneys' fee award due to plaintiffs' counsel. The Company holds an accrual for $37 million in Other accrued liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the Company's appeal for a conclusive ruling that the California laws on which the judgment is based are invalid as applied to airlines. The decision leaves open the possibility that other states in the Ninth Circuit judicial district may attempt to apply similar laws to airlines, and, in fact, a lawsuit based on similar claims to those asserted in Bernstein has been initiated by Washington-based Alaska Airlines flight attendants. The Company plans to assert all available legal defenses, but to date has not determined its probable and estimable liability in this matter.

The Company is analyzing a range of potential options to balance new compliance obligations with operational and labor considerations. Some or all of these solutions may have an adverse impact on the Company's operations and financial position due in part to the unresolved conflicts between the laws and federal regulations applicable to airlines.

As part of the 2016 acquisition of Virgin America, Alaska assumed responsibility for the Virgin trademark license agreement with the Virgin Group. In 2019, pursuant to that agreement's venue provision, the Virgin Group sued Alaska in England, alleging that the agreement requires Alaska to pay $8 million per year as a minimum annual royalty through 2039, adjusted annually for inflation. Alaska stopped making royalty payments in 2019 after ending all use of the Virgin brand. The Virgin Group asserts that payments are required without regard to actual use of the mark. A trial was held in October 2022 and a ruling is expected in the coming weeks. The Company believes the claims in the case are without factual and legal merit, a position supported by Virgin America's representations during pre-merger due diligence.

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# NOTE 11. SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

### *Dividends*

In March 2020, the Company suspended the payment of dividends indefinitely. Prior to the suspension, the Company paid dividends of $45 million to shareholders of record during 2020. These restrictions ended on October 1, 2022.

### *Common Stock Repurchase*

In August 2015, the Board of Directors authorized a $1 billion share repurchase program. The Company repurchased 7.6 million shares for $544 million under this program. In March 2020, subject to restrictions under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities (CARES) Act, the Company suspended the share repurchase program indefinitely. These restrictions ended on October 1, 2022. The Company announced plans to resume share repurchases in 2023. The program has remaining authorization of $456 million. Prior to the suspension, the Company repurchased $31 million, or 538,078 shares, in 2020.

At December 31, 2022, the Company held 9,349,944 shares in treasury. Management does not anticipate retiring common shares held in treasury for the foreseeable future.

### *CARES Act Warrant Issuance*

As additional taxpayer protection required under the PSP programs under the CARES Act, the Company granted the Treasury a total of 1,455,437 warrants to purchase ALK common stock in 2020 and 2021. An additional 427,080 warrants were issued in conjunction with a draw on the CARES Act Loan in 2020. These warrants are non-voting, freely transferable, may be settled as net shares or in cash at the Company's option, and have a five-year term.

The value of the warrants was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The total fair value of the warrants of $30 million, recorded in stockholders' equity at issuance.

Total warrants outstanding are as follows as of December 31, 2022:

|  | Number of shares of ALK common stock | Strike Price |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PSP 1 | 928,127 | 31.61 |
| CARES Act loan warrants | 427,080 | 31.61 |
| PSP 2 | 305,499 | 52.25 |
| PSP 3 | 221,812 | 66.39 |
| Outstanding December 31, 2022 | 1,882,518 |  |

### *Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (AOCL)*

A roll forward of the amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax (in millions), is shown below for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022:

|  | Marketable Securities | Employee Benefit Plan | Interest Rate Derivatives | Total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Balance at December 31, 2019, net of tax effect of $150 | $9 | $(469) | $(5) | $(465) |
| Reclassifications into earnings, net of tax effect of ($5) | (11) | 23 | 2 | 14 |
| Change in value, net of tax effect of $15 | 25 | (52) | (16) | (43) |
| Balance at December 31, 2020, net of tax effect of $160 | $23 | $(498) | $(19) | $(494) |
| Reclassifications into earnings, net of tax effect of ($6) | (4) | 25 | - | 21 |
| Change in value, net of tax effect of ($71) | (23) | 221 | 13 | 211 |
| Balance at December 31, 2021, net of tax effect of $83 | $(4) | $(252) | $(6) | $(262) |
| Reclassifications into earnings, net of tax effect of ($4) | 6 | 2 | - | 8 |
| Change in value, net of tax effect of $43 | (82) | (69) | 17 | (134) |
| Balance at December 31, 2022, net of tax effect of $122 | $(80) | $(319) | $11 | $(388) |

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## NOTE 12. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

The Company has various equity incentive plans under which it may grant stock awards to directors, officers and employees. The Company also has an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP).

The table below summarizes the components of total stock-based compensation (in millions):

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Stock options | $3 | $5 | $4 |
| Stock awards | 14 | 20 | 14 |
| Deferred stock awards | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Employee stock purchase plan | 17 | 18 | 15 |
| Stock-based compensation | $35 | $44 | $34 |
| Tax benefit related to stock-based compensation | $9 | $11 | $8 |

Unrecognized stock-based compensation for non-vested options and awards and the weighted-average period the expense will be recognized (dollars in millions):

|  | Amount | Weighted-Average Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stock options | $3 | 0.2 |
| Stock awards | 12 | 1.0 |
| Unrecognized stock-based compensation | $15 | 1.2 |

The Company is authorized to issue 20 million shares of common stock under these plans, of which 12,076,777 shares remain available for future grants of either options or stock awards as of December 31, 2022.

### *Stock Options*

Stock options to purchase common stock are granted at the fair market value of the stock on the date of grant. The stock options granted have terms of up to ten years.

The fair value of each option grant was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions used for grants:

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Expected volatility | 44% | 43% | 34% |
| Expected term | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years |
| Risk-free interest rate | 1.91% | 0.68% | 1.03% |
| Expected dividend yield | - % | - % | 1.73% |
| Weighted-average grant date fair value per share | $23.36 | $23.66 | $14.11 |
| Estimated fair value of options granted (millions) | $4 | $4 | $6 |

The expected market price volatility and expected term are based on historical results. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant. The expected dividend yield is based on the estimated weighted average dividend yield over the expected term. The expected forfeiture rates are based on historical experience.

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The tables below summarize stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2022:

|  | Shares | Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share | Weighted-Average Contractual Life (Years) | Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Outstanding, December 31, 2021 | 1,179,227 | $62.11 | 6.7 | $3 |
| Granted | 171,450 | 54.84 |  |  |
| Exercised | (4,110) | 31.73 |  |  |
| Canceled | (35,871) | 71.62 |  |  |
| Forfeited or expired | (79,939) | 54.01 |  |  |
| Outstanding, December 31, 2022 | 1,230,757 | $61.45 | 5.6 | $1 |
| Exercisable, December 31, 2022 | 758,220 | $63.90 | 4.5 | $1 |
| Vested or expected to vest, December 31, 2022 | 1,230,230 | $61.45 | 5.6 | $1 |

| (in millions) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Intrinsic value of option exercises | $ - | $3 | $2 |
| Fair value of options vested | $4 | $4 | $3 |

Cash received from stock option exercises was not material for the year ended December 31, 2022.

#### *Stock Awards*

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are awarded to eligible employees and entitle the grantee to receive shares of common stock at the end of the vesting period. The fair value of the RSUs is based on the stock price on the date of grant. Generally, RSUs “cliff vest” after three years, or the period from the date of grant to the employee’s retirement eligibility, and expense is recognized accordingly. Performance Share Units (PSUs) are awarded to certain executives to receive shares of common stock if specific performance goals and market conditions are achieved. There are several tranches of PSUs which vest when performance goals and market conditions are met.

The following table summarizes information about outstanding stock awards:

|  | Number of Units | Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value | Weighted-Average Contractual Life (Years) | Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-vested, December 31, 2021 | 546,480 | $52.81 | 1.3 | $36 |
| Granted | 457,243 | 59.72 |  |  |
| Vested | (494,882) | 54.44 |  |  |
| Forfeited | (402,081) | 62.38 |  |  |
| Non-vested, December 31, 2022 | 106,760 | $53.97 | 2.9 | $11 |

#### *Deferred Stock Awards*

Deferred Stock Units (DSUs) are awarded to members of the Board of Directors as part of their retainers. The underlying common shares are issued upon retirement from the Board, but require no future service period. As a result, the entire intrinsic value of the awards is expensed on the date of grant.

#### *Employee Stock Purchase Plan*

The ESPP allows employees to purchase common stock at 85% of the stock price on the first day of the offering period or the specified purchase date, whichever is lower. Employees may contribute up to 10% of their base earnings during the offering period to purchase stock. Employees purchased 1,292,489, 1,254,393 and 1,524,194 shares in 2022, 2021 and 2020 under the ESPP.

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### NOTE 13. OPERATING SEGMENT INFORMATION

Alaska Air Group has two operating airlines-Alaska and Horizon. Each is regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration. Alaska has CPAs for regional capacity with Horizon and SkyWest, under which Alaska receives all passenger revenue.

Under GAAP, operating segments are defined as components of a business for which there is discrete financial information that is regularly assessed by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM) in making resource allocation decisions. Financial performance for the operating airlines and CPAs is managed and reviewed by the Company's CODM as part of three reportable operating segments:

- **Mainline** - includes scheduled air transportation on Alaska's Boeing or Airbus jet aircraft for passengers and cargo throughout the U.S., and in parts of Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize.
- **Regional** - includes Horizon's and other third-party carriers’ scheduled air transportation for passengers across a shorter distance network within the U.S. and Canada under a CPA. This segment includes the actual revenue and expenses associated with regional flying, as well as an allocation of corporate overhead incurred by Air Group on behalf of the regional operations.
- **Horizon** - includes the capacity sold to Alaska under a CPA. Expenses include those typically borne by regional airlines such as crew costs, ownership costs and maintenance costs.

The CODM makes resource allocation decisions for these reporting segments based on flight profitability data, aircraft type, route economics and other financial information.

The "Consolidating and Other" column reflects parent company activity, McGee Air Services, consolidating entries and other immaterial business units of the company. The “Air Group Adjusted” column represents a non-GAAP measure that is used by the Company CODM to evaluate performance and allocate resources. Adjustments are further explained below in reconciling to consolidated GAAP results.

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Operating segment information is as follows (in millions):

|  | Year Ended December 31, 2022 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Mainline | Regional | Horizon | Consolidating & Other (a) | Air Group Adjusted (b) | Special Items (c) | Consolidated |
| Operating Revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Passenger revenue | 7,454 | 1,354 | - | - | 8,808 | - | 8,808 |
| CPA revenue | - | - | 359 | (359) | - | - | - |
| Mileage Plan other revenue | 538 | 52 | - | - | 590 | - | 590 |
| Cargo and other revenue | 244 | - | - | 4 | 248 | - | 248 |
| Total Operating Revenue | 8,236 | 1,406 | 359 | (355) | 9,646 | - | 9,646 |
| Operating Expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Operating expenses, excluding fuel | 5,216 | 1,085 | 383 | (356) | 6,328 | 580 | 6,908 |
| Fuel expense | 2,195 | 397 | - | - | 2,592 | 76 | 2,668 |
| Total Operating Expenses | 7,411 | 1,482 | 383 | (356) | 8,920 | 656 | 9,576 |
| Non-operating Income (Expense) | 30 | - | (22) | 1 | 9 | - | 9 |
| Income (Loss) Before Income Tax | $855 | $(76) | $(46) | $2 | $735 | $(656) | $79 |
| Pretax Margin |  |  |  |  | 7.6% |  | 0.8% |

|  | Year Ended December 31, 2021 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Mainline | Regional | Horizon | Consolidating & Other (a) | Air Group Adjusted (b) | Special Items (c) | Consolidated |
| Operating Revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Passenger revenue | 4,411 | 1,088 | - | - | 5,499 | - | 5,499 |
| CPA revenue | - | - | 406 | (406) | - | - | - |
| Mileage Plan other revenue | 402 | 59 | - | - | 461 | - | 461 |
| Cargo and other revenue | 212 | - | - | 4 | 216 | - | 216 |
| Total Operating Revenue | 5,025 | 1,147 | 406 | (402) | 6,176 | - | 6,176 |
| Operating Expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Operating expenses, excluding fuel | 4,101 | 1,096 | 373 | (433) | 5,137 | (925) | 4,212 |
| Fuel expense | 1,065 | 261 | - | - | 1,326 | (47) | 1,279 |
| Total Operating Expenses | 5,166 | 1,357 | 373 | (433) | 6,463 | (972) | 5,491 |
| Non-operating Income (Expense) | (38) | - | (21) | 3 | (56) | - | (56) |
| Income (Loss) Before Income Tax | $(179) | $(210) | $12 | $34 | $(343) | $972 | $629 |
| Pretax Margin |  |  |  |  | (5.6)% |  | 10.2% |

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|  | Year Ended December 31, 2020 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Mainline | Regional | Horizon | Consolidating & Other (a) | Air Group Adjusted (b) | Special Items (c) | Consolidated |
| Operating Revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Passenger revenue | 2,350 | 669 | - | - | 3,019 | - | 3,019 |
| CPA revenue | - | - | 386 | (386) | - | - | - |
| Mileage Plan other revenue | 309 | 65 | - | - | 374 | - | 374 |
| Cargo and other revenue | 170 | - | - | 3 | 173 | - | 173 |
| Total Operating Revenue | 2,829 | 734 | 386 | (383) | 3,566 | - | 3,566 |
| Operating Expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Operating expenses, excluding fuel | 3,630 | 993 | 323 | (399) | 4,547 | 71 | 4,618 |
| Fuel expense | 569 | 162 | - | - | 731 | (8) | 723 |
| Total Operating Expenses | 4,199 | 1,155 | 323 | (399) | 5,278 | 63 | 5,341 |
| Non-operating Income (Expense) | (19) | - | (22) | 2 | (39) | (26) | (65) |
| Income (Loss) Before Income Tax | $(1,389) | $(421) | $41 | $18 | $(1,751) | $(89) | $(1,840) |
| Pretax Margin |  |  |  |  | (49.1)% |  | (51.6)% |

(a) Includes consolidating entries, Air Group parent company, McGee Air Services, and other immaterial business units.

(b) The Air Group Adjusted column represents the financial information that is reviewed by management to assess performance of operations and determine capital allocations and excludes certain charges.

(c) Includes special items, mark-to-market fuel-hedge accounting adjustments, and Payroll Support Program grant wage offsets.

|  | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Depreciation and amortization: |  |  |  |
| Mainline | $351 | $323 | $346 |
| Horizon | 64 | 71 | 74 |
| Consolidated | $415 | $394 | $420 |
| Capital expenditures: |  |  |  |
| Mainline | $1,544 | $236 | $210 |
| Horizon | 127 | 56 | 12 |
| Consolidated | $1,671 | $292 | $222 |
| Total assets at end of period: |  |  |  |
| Mainline | $19,733 | $19,258 |  |
| Horizon | 1,157 | 1,212 |  |
| Consolidating & Other | (6,704) | (6,519) |  |
| Consolidated | $14,186 | $13,951 |  |

## ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

## ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

### EVALUATION OF DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

The Company's management, with the participation of the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act

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Rule 13a-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.

## CHANGES IN INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

There have been no changes in the Company's internal controls over financial reporting during the year ended December 31, 2022, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.

Our internal control over financial reporting is based on the 2013 framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO Framework).

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# MANAGEMENT'S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the 2013 framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO Framework). Based on our evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2022.

We intend to review and evaluate the design and effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting on an ongoing basis, improve these controls and procedures over time, and correct any deficiencies that we may discover in the future. While we believe the present design of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting are effective, future events affecting our business may cause us to modify our controls and procedures.

The Company's independent registered public accounting firm has issued an attestation report regarding its assessment of the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022.

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# REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors Alaska Air Group, Inc.:

### *Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting*

We have audited Alaska Air Group, Inc. and subsidiaries' (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in *Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013)* issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in *Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013)* issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive operations, shareholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and our report dated February 13, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.

### *Basis for Opinion*

The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

### *Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting*

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Seattle, Washington February 13, 2023

/s/ KPMG LLP

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