WestJet reports December load factor of 80.8 per cent

Airline increases December traffic by 9.1 per cent year over year and flies a record 22.0 million guests in 2016

CALGARY, Jan. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - WestJet today announced December 2016 traffic results with a load factor of 80.8 per cent, an increase of 1.6 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 9.1 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 7.1 per cent over the same period. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the airline flew a record 5.4 million guests, a year-over-year increase of 11.0 per cent or approximately 531,000 additional guests. For the full-year of 2016, the airline flew a record 22.0 million guests, a year-over-year increase of 8.2 per cent or approximately 1.7 million additional guests.

"We are very pleased with the double-digit traffic growth in 2016 as we achieved our second highest full-year load factor of 81.8 per cent and welcomed a record 22 million guests on board," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "I want to thank our over 12,000 WestJetters for continuing to deliver our award winning brand of friendly caring service during this busy holiday season."

December 2016 traffic results

About WestJet
We are proud to be Canada's most trusted airline, powered by an award-winning culture of care and recognized as one of the country's top employers. We offer scheduled service to more than 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:
2016 Canada's Most Trusted Airline (Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria)
2016 Canada's most reputable company for Corporate Social Responsibility (Reputation Institute)
2016/2015/2014/2013/2012 Ranked top three for Canadian Brands (Canadian Business Magazine)2016/2015/2014/2013 WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard ranked #1 in Canada (MoneySense magazine)
2015/2011/2010/2008/2007/2006/2005 Canada's Most Admired Corporate Culture (Waterstone Human Capital)
2015 Best Employers in Canada (Aon Hewitt)

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SOURCE WestJet

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