Alaska Air Group for the first quarter posted a 6 percent year-over-year increase in passenger revenue, tops among major U.S. carriers,

to just over $1 billion. At 4.1 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively, its traffic and capacity growth during the quarter also outpaced that of its five largest competitors. The company reported records for first-quarter adjusted income ($89 million) and adjusted pretax margin (11.8 percent), while net income jumped to $94 million from $37 million in the prior-year period.