WestJet has announced December traffic results with a record load factor of 81.7%. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) increased 8.1% year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 7.0% over the same period.
"We are very pleased with our strong December load factor, which is accompanied by RPM growth of over 8% and 42,000 additional guests compared to December last year," commented WestJet President and CEO Sean Durfy. "This busy month for holiday travel was further enhanced with a number of new vacation hot spots that we launched during the quarter. WestJet Vacations' increasing popularity is contributing to current performance as well as advance bookings."
"We have made considerable progress in our call centre service levels since our reservation system cutover in October, and we are on our way to fully restoring our high-quality service," added Sean Durfy. "Despite record loads, winter storms and increased security measures over the busy holiday period, we completed 98.3% of our scheduled flights in December, thanks largely to the determination and drive of our WestJetters who excelled under challenging circumstances. We are tremendously appreciative of their continued dedication and are honoured to have recently ranked as one of Canada's top employers in Hewitt Associates 50 Best Employers in Canada Study."
