Airline increases traffic by 16.3%, and achieves
its second highest load factor for a third quarter
CALGARY, Oct. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - WestJet today
announced September 2016 traffic
results with a load factor of 79.9 per cent an increase of 2.5
percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs),
or traffic, increased 16.3 per cent year over year, and capacity,
measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 12.6 per cent over
the same period. In the third quarter of 2016, the airline flew a
record 5.9 million guests, a year-over-year increase of 7.0 per
cent or approximately 384,000 additional guests.
"We are pleased with our fifth consecutive month of double-digit
traffic growth, as we achieved our second highest load factor for a
third quarter at 84.0 per cent and flew a record 5.9 million
guests," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "As we transition through our
shoulder period into the busy winter season, I want to thank our
almost 12,000 WestJetters for their commitment to providing our
brand of friendly caring service."
September 2016 traffic
results
|
September
2016
|
September
2015
|
Change
|
Load
factor
|
79.9%
|
77.4%
|
2.5 pts
|
ASMs
(billions)
|
2.363
|
2.099
|
12.6%
|
RPMs
(billions)
|
1.887
|
1.623
|
16.3%
|
|
Third quarter
2016
|
Third quarter
2015
|
Change
|
Load
factor
|
84.0%
|
81.8%
|
2.2 pts
|
ASMs
(billions)
|
7.635
|
6.904
|
10.6%
|
RPMs
(billions)
|
6.414
|
5.647
|
13.6%
|
|
Year-to-date
2016
|
Year-to-date
2015
|
Change
|
Load
factor
|
82.3%
|
80.5%
|
1.8 pts
|
ASMs
(billions)
|
22.045
|
20.377
|
8.2%
|
RPMs
(billions)
|
18.152
|
16.412
|
10.6%
|
In September, WestJet announced a multi-year agreement as
primary provider for Suncor Energy to fly employees and contractors
to and from its oil sands operations in Northern Alberta beginning in early
November 2016. WestJet will use a
combination of its Boeing 737 Next-Generation and Bombardier Q400
NextGen aircraft to fly Suncor employees and contractors between
Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, Saskatoon, and Fort
McMurray and its operations in the Regional Municipality of
Wood Buffalo, Alberta.
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 ΜΆ even on seat sales. For more information
about everything WestJet, please visit westjet.com.
Recent recognition includes:
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)
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