WestJet reports December load factor of 81.7 per cent

Airline achieves its second-highest fourth quarter and full-year load factors

CALGARY, Jan. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - WestJet today announced December 2013 traffic results with a load factor of 81.7 per cent. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 7.2 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 7.4 per cent over the same period. The airline flew 18.5 million guests in the full-year 2013, a year-over-year increase of 6.1 per cent or approximately 1.1 million additional guests.

"We are very pleased to finish the year with our second-highest fourth quarter and full-year load factors, as well as setting a new single-day record as we flew 60,566 guests on December 20^th," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "I want to thank WestJetters for their continued efforts in providing our guests with a safe and remarkable travel experience this holiday season, especially given the challenging winter weather."

December 2013 traffic results

In December, WestJet, WestJet Vacations and Walt Disney Parks & Resorts (Canada) unveiled the Magic Plane, a custom-painted Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft in WestJet's fleet featuring Mickey Mouse in his most famous role, Sorcerer Mickey. The Magic Plane made its inaugural flight from Calgary to Orlando, Florida, on December 3^rd, and will fly throughout WestJet's expanding domestic, trans-border and international network.

WestJet serves Orlando, home of Walt Disney World Resort, with a total of 39 flights per week during peak winter months from Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton, London, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Moncton and St. John's, Nfld., while WestJet Vacations offers a variety of vacation packages to the Walt Disney World Resort.

WestJet's New Year's Sale, which lasts through January 7^th, 2014, offers guests a way to start the new year with great deals for winter and springtime travel.

About WestJet
WestJet is Canada's most preferred airline, offering scheduled service to 88 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Powered by an award-winning culture of care, WestJet pioneered low-cost flying in Canada. Recognized nationally as a top employer, WestJet now has more than 9,600 WestJetters across Canada. Operating a fleet of more than 100 Boeing Next-Generation 737 and Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft, WestJet strives to be one of the five most successful international airlines in the world. In 2013, WestJet launched its new regional airline, WestJet Encore.

About WestJet Vacations
WestJet Vacations provides guests with affordable, reliable and easy-to-book travel experiences to 55 destinations in 18 countries, including the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Leveraging WestJet's fun and friendly image, extensive network and remarkable guest experience, WestJet Vacations offers guests a great flight schedule and a wide variety of hotel and resort options to create fun and affordable vacation experiences. For more information visit www.westjetvacations.com.

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SOURCE WestJet