Alaska posts profit in fourth quarter and full year

As a measure of how the restructuring work of the past three years has worked, Alaska Air Group posted a 4Q2009 net income of USD24.1 million, nearly a USD100 million swing from the year-ago period when it lost USD75.2 million. For the year the company reported 2009 net income of USD121.6 million, compared to a net loss of USD135.9 million in 2008, thanks to a 38%, or a USD460 million decline in economic fuel costs.