Alaska Air Group’s (NYSE:ALK) wholly owned subsidiary Alaska Airlines has launched a daily nonstop service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and El Paso International Airport. Simultaneously, it has begun daily nonstop flights connecting El Paso with San Diego.
The carrier is plying on the routes using Embraer 175 jets, featuring extra legroom and several other modern amenities in the premium and first class.
El Paso is Alaska Airlines’ 90th nonstop destination from Seattle, its largest hub. Additionally, the West Texas city is the carrier’s 31st nonstop destination from San Diego. Notably, El Paso was never served by Alaska Airlines until the nonstop flight introduction.
Apart from El Paso, Alaska Airlines currently operates nonstop flights to Austin and Dallas Love Field in Texas from San Diego.
The newly initiated operations are key positives for the carrier’s growth as it benefits from rising travel demand. On the back of this tailwind, the airline has been generating strong passenger revenues. The carrier’s passenger revenues totaled $1,907 million during the fourth quarter, indicating a year-over-year rise of 6%. Alongside solid passenger revenues, the carrier’s overall results have been impressive. (Read more: Alaska Air Group's Q4 Earnings & Revenues Top Estimates)
Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks
Alaska Air Group carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Some other top-ranked stocks in the same space are Azul SA (NYSE:AZUL) , Air France-KLM SA (OTC:AFLYY) and JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Shares of Azul and Air France-KLM have rallied more than 74% and 11%, respectively, in the past six months. Meanwhile, the JetBlue stock boasts a stellar earnings history, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four reported quarters, the average being 12.4%.
Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019
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Air France-KLM SA (AFLYY): Free Stock Analysis Report
JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU): Free Stock Analysis Report
Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK): Free Stock Analysis Report
AZUL SA (AZUL): Free Stock Analysis Report
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