WestJet reports July 2014 load factor of 83.3 per cent

CALGARY, Aug. 6, 2014 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced July 2014 traffic results with a load factor of 83.3 per cent, an increase of 0.2 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 6.7 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 6.6 per cent over the same period. The airline flew a record 1.8 million guests in July, a year-over-year increase of 5.9 per cent or more than 100,000 additional guests, and achieved an on-time performance rate of 81.4 per cent in the month, an improvement of 5.5 percentage points year over year.

“We continue to be very pleased with our strong year over year traffic growth, as we achieved our second-highest July load factor and set a new single-day record, flying 65,521 guests on Thursday, July 31, a record which we subsequently broke by flying 66,072 guests on Friday, August 1,” said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “I want to thank all WestJetters for their dedication to providing a remarkable guest experience through the peak summer travel season as we continue to welcome record numbers of guests on board.”

In July, WestJet announced its 2014-2015 winter schedule which includes new non-stop service between Toronto and Fredericton, WestJet Encore’s first Maritime destination, as well as new non-stop service between Calgary and Loreto, Mexico, and a new route between Winnipeg and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Earlier this year, WestJet announced four additional new routes which are part of the 2014-2015 winter schedule, including service between Toronto and Phoenix, Arizona, and WestJet Encore service between Calgary and Penticton, Edmonton and Kamloops, and Toronto and Quebec City.