WestJet reports an 18 per cent increase in July traffic

Airline reports strong growth and achieves a load factor of 80.7 per cent

CALGARY, Aug. 5 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced July 2010 traffic results with a load factor of 80.7 per cent, up 4.3 points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 18.2 per cent year over year. Capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 11.9 per cent over the same period.

"We are very encouraged with our fifth straight month of double-digit traffic increases and the year-over-year load factor improvement given the capacity increase," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "New strategic initiatives, such as our WestJet Frequent Guest Program and WestJet RBC MasterCard are contributing nicely to growth."

"An additional 161,000 guests flew WestJet compared to July 2009. This increase is a testament to our people-driven brand," commented Gregg Saretsky. "My thanks go to all WestJetters for taking care of our guests every time they fly with us and creating the world-class guest experience we're known for."

    
                          July 2010 traffic results

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                           July 2010             July 2009            Change
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    Load factor              80.7%                 76.4%             4.3 pts.
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    ASMs (billions)          1.736                 1.552               11.9%
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    RPMs (billions)          1.402                 1.186               18.2%
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    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Year-to-date 2010     Year-to-date 2009       Change
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    Load factor              80.8%                 78.0%            2.8 pts.
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    ASMs (billions)         11.220                10.224                9.7%
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    RPMs (billions)          9.067                 7.973               13.7%
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

In July, WestJet announced seasonal non-stop service to New Orleans, Grand Cayman and Santa Clara, Cuba, and seasonal non-stop flights from several Canadian cities to Montego Bay, Jamaica.

About WestJet

WestJet is Canada's preferred airline, offering scheduled service throughout its 71-city North American and Caribbean network. Inducted into Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures Hall of Fame and named one of Canada's best employers, WestJet pioneered low-cost flying in Canada. WestJet offers increased legroom, leather seats and live seatback television provided by Bell TV on its modern fleet of 90 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. With future confirmed deliveries for an additional 45 aircraft through 2017, WestJet strives to be one of the five most successful international airlines in the world.

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For further information: WestJet Media Relations, 1-888-WJ 4 NEWS (1-888-954-6397), Email: [email protected]; WestJet Investor Relations, 1-877-493-7853, Email: [email protected]; Website: www.westjet.com