WestJet reports January load factor of 80.9 per cent

CALGARY, Feb. 5, 2014 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced January 2014 traffic results with a load factor of 80.9 per cent. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 8.4 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 8.3 per cent over the same period. The airline flew 1.6 million guests in January, a year-over-year increase of 8.8 per cent or approximately 129,000 additional guests.

“We have had a great start to the year by tying our load factor record for January, as we saw strong traffic growth and welcomed more guests into our growing network,” said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “I want to thank WestJetters for the phenomenal level of caring and commitment they demonstrated as we ensured our guests got to their destinations safely, especially given the challenging winter weather conditions in the early part of January.”

In January, WestJet announced its most comprehensive summer schedule yet, adding five new routes, increasing frequency on 20 existing routes across its network, and moving five seasonal routes to year-round service. The airline announced new daily non-stop flights from Calgary to New York’s JFK International Airport, service increases to 15 popular southern destinations, and WestJet Encore’s eastern expansion this year with flights beginning June 27, 2014 between Toronto and Thunder Bay, and between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg.