"Table 6: Low-cost Carrier FTE Employees, March 2001-2005*",,,,,,,,,,,
(Ranked by March 2005 FTE Employees),,,,,,,,,,,
Rank,,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,Percentage Full-time Employees ,,,,
,,,,,,,2001,2005,,,
1,Southwest,"29,560","32,245","33,140","31,522","30,975",97.3,98.4,,,
2,America West,"12,781","11,391","11,391","11,418","11,847",80.0,78.2,,,
3,JetBlue,"1,329","2,447","4,045","5,494","6,993",74.8,81.7,,,
4,AirTran,"4,097","4,368","4,934","5,367","6,079",91.0,94.5,,,
5,ATA,"7,700","6,828","7,156","7,001","5,112",88.4,90.6,,,
6,Frontier,"2,217","2,421","2,837","3,759","4,064",81.6,80.7,,,
7,Independence**,N/A,N/A,"4,528","3,831","3,439",N/A,91.1,,,
8,Spirit,"1,954","2,077","2,433","2,400","2,284",83.1,88.6,,,
,Total***,"59,638","61,777","70,464","70,792","70,793",90.2,90.4,,,
* 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,,,,,,,,