WestJet reports July load factor of 85.2 per cent

Airline increases traffic by 13.9 per cent and achieves second-highest July load factor 

CALGARY, Aug. 10, 2016 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced July 2016 traffic results with a load factor of 85.2 per cent an increase of 2.4 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 13.9 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 10.7 per cent over the same period. The airline flew a record 2.0 million guests in July, a year-over-year increase of 6.6 per cent or approximately 126,000 additional guests.

"We are very pleased with our continued double-digit traffic growth as we achieved our second-highest July load factor and flew a record 2.0 million guests for the month of July," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "I want to thank our almost 12,000 WestJetters for their commitment to providing a remarkable guest experience through the busy summer travel season."

July 2016 traffic results

	July 2016	July 2015	Change
Load factor	85.2%	82.8%	2.4 pts
ASMs (billions)	2.627	2.374	10.7%
RPMs (billions)	2.239	1.966	13.9%
	Year-to-date 2016	Year-to-date 2015	Change
Load factor	82.0%	80.3%	1.7 pts
ASMs (billions)	17.037	15.847	7.5%
RPMs (billions)	13.976	12.731	9.8%

In July, WestJet announced its 2016-2017 winter schedule that included new flights to its growing domestic and international networks. The winter schedule includes new non-stop weekly service between Regina and Orlando, Florida, and new flights from Toronto to a number of Canadian and international destinations including Vancouver, Ottawa, Moncton, Myrtle Beach, Aruba, Kingston (Jamaica), San Jose and Liberia (Costa Rica), Port of Spain and St. Martin.

Beginning October 29, 2016, WestJet will become the only Canadian airline to provide non-stop service to Belize, connecting Toronto with Belize City twice weekly, including connecting service from Western and Atlantic Canada.  

About WestJet
We are proud to be Canada's highest-rated airline for customer service, powered by an award-winning culture of care and recognized as one of the country's top employers. We offer scheduled service to 100 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 150 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 vacations 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:
2015/2011/2010/2008/2007/2006/2005 Canada's Most Admired Corporate Culture (Waterstone Human Capital)
2015 Best Employers in Canada (Aon Hewitt) 
2015/2014/2013 WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard ranked #1 in Canada (MoneySense magazine)
2014/2013 WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard ranked #1 in the Canada's Choice ranking (RewardsCanada.ca)
2014 Interbrand Canada's Best Canadian Brands (Rank #20)
2014 Brands of the Year (Strategy magazine)
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)
2014/2013/2012/2011 Highest equity score: airline, vacation package supplier brands (Harris/Decima EquiTrend Study)

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SOURCE WestJet

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