"Table 12: Low-Cost Carrier Full-time Equivalent Employees,* August 2004-2008**",,,,,,,,
(Ranked by August 2008 FTEs),,,,,,,,
Rank,,2004***,2005***,2006,2007****,2008,Percent Change      ,
,,,,,,,2004-2008,2007-2008
1,Southwest,"30,885","31,463","32,095","33,639","35,308",14.3,5.0
2,JetBlue,"6,203","7,739","9,601","9,609","10,341",66.7,7.6
3,AirTran,"5,711","6,305","7,215","8,127","7,952",39.2,-2.2
4,Frontier,"4,019","4,082","4,539","5,134","4,577",13.9,-10.8
5,Spirit,"2,425","2,094","1,980","2,182","2,237",-7.8,2.5
6,Virgin America,N/A,N/A,N/A,507,"1,151",N/A,127.0
7,ATA*****,"6,605","4,376","2,546","2,391",N/A,N/A,N/A
8,SkyBus,N/A,N/A,N/A,280,N/A,N/A,N/A
9,Independence,"4,310","3,150",N/A,N/A,N/A,N/A,N/A
10,America West,"11,422","11,846","12,539","12,357",N/A,N/A,N/A
,Total,"71,577","71,055","70,513","74,223","61,564",-14.0,-17.1
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics,,,,,,,,
* Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.,,,,,,,,
"** US Airways’ employment numbers were included with the network airlines prior to October 2007 while America West's numbers were included with the low-cost airlines.  Beginning with October 2007, US Airways’ numbers are combined with America West Airlines’ numbers in the network category.  The combined carrier's numbers were included in the low-cost category for October 2007 through February 2008 in the releases for those months.  The numbers for those months have been revised beginning with the March 2008 release to include the combined carrier's numbers in the network category for all months.  The revision was due to a BTS recalculation based on the airline's fourth quarter financial report released May 19.",,,,,,,,
"***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 airline discontinued flights on Jan. 5, 2006.",,,,,,,,
**** Virgin America and SkyBus began reporting employment data in August 2007. SkyBus stopped reporting employment data effective in April 2008 resulting from its bankruptcy filing.,,,,,,,,
"***** ATA Airlines ceased operating on April 3, 2008 and stopped reporting employment data effective in March.",,,,,,,,
"N/A: Carrier did not meet the standard for filing, was no longer operating, merged with another operating carrier or failed to file.  See previous notes.",,,,,,,,
Note: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.,,,,,,,,
Note: Detail may not add to total due to rounding.,,,,,,,,
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