Share Optimal crew scheduling process helps regional airline stay competitive Montreal, Canada, May 6, 2008 — Mesaba Airlines, a pioneer in adopting technology to improve operational efficiency, crew satisfaction, and passenger service is enhancing the use of its current crew planning system from Kronos® Incorporated to effectively manage the schedules of its pilots. In addition to utilizing Altitude Pairing™ to develop optimal crew pairings, Mesaba Airlines’ flight attendant group is a long-time user of Altitude PBS™ (Preferential Bidding System), an automated and optimized crew scheduling software solution pioneered by the AD OPT division of Kronos. The airline has experienced enhanced crew satisfaction and improved operational efficiency through the use of Altitude PBS, and is now extending the use of the software to create pilot schedules. “Altitude PBS has helped our planners do their jobs more effectively and strategically,” said Eric Workman, director of flight operations administration at Mesaba. “The trust and solid working relationship we have with Kronos’ AD OPT Division made them a logical choice for Mesaba in adding our pilot group to Altitude PBS. Now, with the Kronos Altitude PBS system, all our crewmembers will have increased flexibility in creating their schedules while Mesaba can utilize the efficiencies of the system. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Kronos as it helps us meet our strategic planning needs.” Optimizing schedule planning while maximizing crewmember satisfaction Competing requirements of crew scheduling make it a complicated and time-consuming task. With Altitude PBS, Mesaba Airlines can develop schedules that satisfy both crewmembers and management by taking into consideration crewmember preferences, company rules, union regulations, and cost constraints. With crewmember satisfaction being a top priority for Mesaba Airlines, Altitude PBS enables its cabin and cockpit crewmembers to express their preferences through various bid options via a user-friendly interface and remote accessibility. Enabling strategic decision-making Long-term, strategic decision-making is fundamental to organizational success, especially when in growth mode. With the comprehensive Kronos solution, Mesaba’s planners are able to forecast effectively by analyzing different scenarios and reacting promptly and subsequently can focus more on planning for the future. This propels strategic and better-informed decisions. “We are very pleased to extend our long-standing relationship with Mesaba and are happy to provide them with our ongoing support as the airline evolves and expands,” said Tom Ivaskiv, vice president and general manager of Kronos’ AD OPT Division. “Complex and growthminded airlines need to strengthen their strategic planning, and our goal is to assist them with all their crew planning, management, and optimization needs through our comprehensive crew management solutions and consulting services that can help them reach their business objectives more efficiently.” About Mesaba Airlines Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, Mesaba Airlines is the longest-standing regional airline in the United States. In 2007, the airline was purchased by longtime partner Northwest Airlines. Mesaba operates under the Northwest Airlink name as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northwest Airlines. The rapidly-expanding airline serves 95 cities in the United States and Canada from Northwest’s three major hubs: Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Memphis. Mesaba operates an advanced fleet of regional jet and jet-prop aircraft, consisting of the 34-passenger Saab SF340, the 50-passenger Bombardier CRJ200 and the 76-passenger Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet aircraft. Learn more about Mesaba at www.mesaba.com. About Kronos Incorporated Kronos Incorporated empowers organizations around the world to effectively manage their workforce. At Kronos, we are experts who are solely focused on delivering software and services that enable organizations to reduce costs, increase productivity, improve employee satisfaction, and ultimately enhance the level of service they provide. Kronos serves customers in more than 60 countries through its network of offices, subsidiaries, and distributors. Widely recognized as a market and thought leader in managing the workforce, Kronos has unrivaled reach with more than 30 million people using a Kronos solution every day. Learn more about Kronos at www.kronos.com To learn more about Kronos’ AD OPT Division, please visit www.ad-opt.com.