8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 2, 2004

AMERICA WEST HOLDINGS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	1-12649	86-0847214
(State of jurisdiction)	(Commission File No.)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

111 West Rio Salado Parkway
Tempe, Arizona 85281
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (480) 693-0800

AMERICA WEST AIRLINES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	0-12337	86-0418245
(State of jurisdiction)	(Commission File No.)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

4000 E. Sky Harbor Boulevard
Phoenix, Arizona 85034-3899
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (480) 693-0800

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	ITEM 2.02. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION.
	ITEM 9.01. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT 99.1

ITEM 2.02. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION.

     On November 2, 2004, America West Airlines, Inc. (the “Company”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of America West Holdings Corporation, announced via press release certain traffic statistics for October 2004. A copy of the Company’s press release is furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

ITEM 9.01. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(c) Exhibits.

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release, dated November 2, 2004.

2.

SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, America West Holdings Corporation has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	AMERICA WEST HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Dated:   November 2, 2004	By:	/s/ Derek J. Kerr
		Derek J. Kerr
		Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, America West Airlines, Inc. has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	AMERICA WEST AIRLINES, INC.
Dated:   November 2, 2004	By:	/s/ Derek J. Kerr
		Derek J. Kerr
		Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

3.

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release, dated November 2, 2004.

4.

EX-99.1

EXHIBIT 99.1

Contact:	Janice Monahan
	480/693-5729

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004

AMERICA WEST REPORTS RECORD OCTOBER 2004 TRAFFIC

     PHOENIX—America West Airlines (NYSE:AWA) today reported record traffic statistics for October 2004. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) were a record 2.0 billion, an increase of 11.7 percent from October 2003. Capacity for October 2004 was a record 2.6 billion available seat miles (ASMs). The passenger load factor for the month of October was a record 79.4 percent, up 1.5 points from October 2003.

     The airline reported a record year-to-date load factor of 77.6 percent, up from 76.8 in 2003. Year-to-date RPMs were a record 19.5 billion, a 9.3 percent increase from 2003. ASMs increased 8.1 percent for the current year to a record 25.1 billion.

     “We are pleased to report our fourth consecutive month of record load factors,” said Scott Kirby, executive vice president, sales and marketing. “While our October 2004 revenue per available seat mile, or RASM, remained below last year’s levels for the same period, we did see some improvement relative to our RASM performance in our recently reported third quarter.”

     The following summarizes America West’s October and year-to-date traffic results for 2004 and 2003:

	Oct. 2004		Oct. 2003		% Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)		2,025,126		1,812,919		11.7
Available Seat Miles (000)		2,551,243		2,327,563		9.6
Load Factor (percent)		79.4		77.9		1.5	pts.
Enplanements		1,821,251		1,671,913		8.9

	YTD 2004		YTD 2003		% Change
Revenue Passenger Miles (000)		19,473,305		17,821,787		9.3
Available Seat Miles (000)		25,101,559		23,214,896		8.1
Load Factor (percent)		77.6		76.8		0.8	pts.
Enplanements		17,617,317		16,833,876		4.7

more/...

America West Airlines
October Traffic / 2

     For the month of October 2004, America West will report its domestic on-time performance of 76.7 percent and its completion factor of 98.8 percent to the Department of Transportation. Low ceilings and thunderstorms in the airline’s Phoenix and Las Vegas hubs negatively impacted on-time performance during October. Excluding those four days, the airline’s domestic on-time performance would have been 80.0 percent and its completion factor would have been 99.1 percent.

     For additional information regarding the airline’s current cost per available seat mile (CASM) guidance, fuel hedging positions, and planned capital expenditures for the remainder of 2004, please visit the investor relations update, which is located in the “About AWA” section of the airline’s Web site at www.americawest.com. The investor relations update page also includes current distribution percentages (information on the airline’s distribution channels) and fleet plan through 2007.

     America West Airlines is the nation’s second largest low-fare airline and the only carrier formed since deregulation to achieve major airline status. America West’s 13,000 employees serve nearly 55,000 customers a day in 96 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.

-AWA-