WestJet reports record July load factor of 85.6 per cent

Airline increases traffic by 6.8 per cent and flies a record number of guests 

CALGARY, Aug 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - WestJet today announced July 2017 traffic results with a load factor of 85.6 per cent, an increase of 0.4 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 6.8 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 6.4 per cent over the same period. The airline flew a record 2.2 million guests in July, a year-over-year increase of 9.1 per cent or approximately 185,000 additional guests.

"We are very pleased with our continued strong traffic growth as we achieved a record July load factor, flew a record 2.2 million guests and set an all-time single day high by flying 76,985 guests on July 27^th," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "I want to thank our almost 13,000 WestJetters for their dedication to providing a remarkable guest experience through this busy summer travel season."

July 2017 traffic results

In July, WestJet announced its 2017-2018 winter schedule that includes:

• New non-stop weekly service from Calgary to Belize City, Belize and new non-stop weekly service from Edmonton and Vancouver to Huatulco, Mexico.
• Additional flights from Toronto to a number of sun destinations including Antigua, Cancun, Fort Lauderdale, Liberia, Orlando, Nassau, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and Montego Bay.
• Additional flights from Toronto to a number of Canadian destinations including Winnipeg and Kelowna.
• Additional flights from Calgary to a number of sun destinations including Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Palm Springs and Puerto Vallarta.
• Additional flights from Calgary to a number of domestic destinations including Kitchener, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Kelowna and Brandon.
• Additional flights from Vancouver to a number of domestic and international destinations including Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Fort St. John, Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray.

This winter WestJet will operate an average of 700 daily flights to 93 destinations including 37 in Canada, 22 in the United States, 33 in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America and one in Europe.

About WestJet
We are proud to be Canada's most trusted airline and one of very few airlines globally that does not commercially overbook. Together with our regional airline, WestJet Encore, we offer scheduled service to more than 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe and to more than 175 destinations in over 20 countries through our airline partnerships. WestJet Vacations offers affordable, flexible vacations to more than 60 destinations and the choice of more than 800 hotels, resorts, condos and villas.  Members of the WestJet Rewards program earn WestJet dollars on flights, vacation packages and more. 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. 

WestJet is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol WJA. For more information about everything WestJet, please visit westjet.com.  

Recent recognition includes:
2017/2016 Canada's Most Trusted Airline (Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria)
2017 Best Airline in Canada and Travellers' Choice Winner Mid-Sized and Low Cost Airlines – North America (TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice awards for Airlines)
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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