"Table 6: Low-Cost Carrier FTE Employees, April 2001-2005*",,,,,,,,
(Ranked by April 2005 FTE Employees),,,,,,,,
Rank,,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,Percentage Full-time Employees,
,,,,,,,2001,2005
1,Southwest,"29,895","32,687","33,073","31,531","31,058",97.4,98.4
2,America West,"12,775","11,382","11,145","11,478","12,002",80.2,77.7
3,JetBlue,"1,410","2,590","4,241","5,559","7,081",75.6,81.6
4,AirTran,"4,109","4,471","5,037","5,406","6,083",91.1,94.5
5,ATA,"7,405","6,970","7,261","6,919","4,596",88.6,92.5
6,Frontier,"1,882","2,499","2,872","3,855","4,073",78.4,80.4
7,Independence**,N/A,N/A,"4,419","3,797","3,353",N/A,90.1
8,Spirit,"2,160","2,148","2,505","2,415","2,194",86.1,89.5
,Total***,"59,636","62,747","70,553","70,960","70,440",90.4,90.4
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count part-time workers as one-half of a full-time employee.,,,,,,,,
"**Employment numbers in 2003, 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,,,,,,,,