"Table 6: Low-Cost Carrier FTE Employees, May 2001-2005*",,,,,,,,
(Ranked by May 2005 FTE Employees),,,,,,,,
Rank,,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,"Percentage 
Full-time Employees ",
,,,,,,,2001,2005
1,Southwest,"30,171","32,714","33,009","31,402","31,242",97.5,98.4
2,America West,"12,621","11,491","10,923","11,468","11,976",80.2,77.5
3,JetBlue,"1,447","2,672","4,495","5,738","7,248",73.0,81.4
4,AirTran,"4,289","4,510","5,153","5,506","6,181",87.1,94.1
5,ATA,"9,105","7,105","7,376","6,900","4,521",87.1,92.3
6,Frontier,"2,291","2,558","3,010","3,906","4,066",83.8,79.9
7,Independence**,N/A,N/A,"4,306","3,911","3,252",N/A,88.0
8,Spirit,"2,220","2,215","2,418","2,440","2,048",85.1,89.5
,Total***,"62,144","63,265","70,688","71,269","70,533",90.1,90.2
* 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,,,,,,,,