"Table 6: Low-cost Carrier FTE Employees, February 2001-2005*",,,,,,,,
Rank,,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,Percentage                    Full-time Employees ,
,,,,,,,2001,2005
1,Southwest,"29,465","31,898","33,527","31,611","30,934", 97.3,98.4
2,America West,"13,072","11,125","11,533","11,351","11,560", 80.7,78.6
3,JetBlue,"1,320","2,337","3,861","5,320","6,871", 74.1,81.2
4,AirTran,"4,053","4,244","4,862","5,325","5,933", 91.3,94.6
5,ATA,"7,680","6,905","6,968","6,997","5,437", 88.1,89.7
6,Frontier,"2,190","2,270","2,796","3,616","4,077", 81.0,80.6
7,Independence**,N/A,N/A,N/A,"3,854","3,711",N/A,92.7
8,Spirit,"1,881","1,989","2,395","2,390","2,354", 82.3,88.3
,Total***,"59,661","60,768","65,941","70,462","70,877", 90.2,90.5
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count part-time workers as one-half of a full-time employee.,,,,,,,,
"**Employment numbers in 2004 and 2005 for Independence Air, which changed its business model from a regional to low-cost carrier in mid-2004, are included with low-cost carriers.  The carrier did not meet the standard for filing in previous years.",,,,,,,,
*** Total numbers for carriers operating in 2005. ,,,,,,,,
 Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics,,,,,,,,