"Table 6: Low-Cost Carrier FTE Employees, November 2001-2005*",,,,,,,,
(Ranked by November 2005 FTE Employees),,,,,,,,
Rank,,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,Percentage                    Full-time Employees,
,,,,,,,2001,2005
1,Southwest,"31,413","34,171","32,787","31,513","31,647",97.7,98.4
2,America West,"10,953","11,682","11,099","11,425","11,581",79.8,76.3
3,JetBlue,"1,957","3,617","5,193","6,607","8,297",72.4,82.3
4,AirTran,"3,886","4,654","5,272","5,822","6,559",90.2,93.1
5,Frontier,"2,186","2,735","3,353","4,072","4,100",80.1,79.6
6,ATA,"6,536","6,633","7,637","6,001","3,814",89.4,92.4
7,Independence**,N/A,N/A,"4,127","4,358","2,386",N/A,82.2
8,Spirit,"1,869","2,413","2,395","2,495","2,084",87.1,88.0
,Total***,"58,800","65,905","71,863","72,293","70,468",91.7,89.7
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one 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 and reporting in 2005. ,,,,,,,,
Note: Detail may not add to total due to rounding,,,,,,,,
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics,,,,,,,,