WestJet reports July load factor of 83.3 per cent

Airline achieves second-highest July load factor while flying 6.7 per cent more revenue passenger miles for the month

CALGARY, Aug. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - WestJet today announced July 2014 traffic results with a load factor of 83.3 per cent, an increase of 0.2 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 6.7 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 6.6 per cent over the same period. The airline flew a record 1.8 million guests in July, a year-over-year increase of 5.9 per cent or more than 100,000 additional guests, and achieved an on-time performance rate of 81.4 per cent in the month, an improvement of 5.5 percentage points year over year.

"We continue to be very pleased with our strong year over year traffic growth, as we achieved our second-highest July load factor and set a new single-day record, flying 65,521 guests on Thursday, July 31, a record which we subsequently broke by flying 66,072 guests on Friday, August 1," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "I want to thank all WestJetters for their dedication to providing a remarkable guest experience through the peak summer travel season as we continue to welcome record numbers of guests on board."

July 2014 traffic results

In July, WestJet announced its 2014-2015 winter schedule which includes new non-stop service between Toronto and Fredericton, WestJet Encore's first Maritime destination, as well as new non-stop service between Calgary and Loreto, Mexico, and a new route between Winnipeg and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Earlier this year, WestJet announced four additional new routes which are part of the 2014-2015 winter schedule, including service between Toronto and Phoenix, Arizona, and WestJet Encore service between Calgary and Penticton, Edmonton and Kamloops, and Toronto and Quebec City.

About WestJet
We are proud to be Canada's most-preferred airline, powered by an award-winning culture of care and recognized as one of the country's top employers. We offer scheduled service to 90 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Through our regional airline, WestJet Encore, and with partnerships with airlines representing every major region of the world, we offer our guests more than 120 destinations in more than 20 countries. Leveraging WestJet's extensive network, flight schedule and remarkable guest experience, WestJet Vacations delivers affordable, flexible travel experiences with a variety of accommodation options for every guest. Members of our WestJet Rewards program earn WestJet dollars on flights, vacation packages and more. Our members use WestJet dollars towards the purchase of WestJet flights and vacation packages on any day, at any time, to any WestJet destination with no blackout periods  ̶  even on seat sales. For more information about everything WestJet, please visit westjet.com.

Recent recognition includes:
2014 Interbrand Canada's Best Canadian Brands (Rank #20)
2014 Canada's Most Preferred Airline (Ipsos)
2014 Value Airline of the Year (Air Transport World magazine)
2014/2013/2012 Canada's Most Attractive Employer (Randstad)
2013 Highest equity score: airline, vacation package supplier brands (Harris/Decima EquiTrend Study)
2013 Gold Stevie Award Best Transportation Company (American Business Awards)
2013 Chairman's Circle Award: WestJet Vacations (CPSC)
2013 WestJet RBC MasterCard ranked #1 in Canada (Money Sense magazine)

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SOURCE WestJet