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Airline achieves its third highest load factor for a third quarter and a new record for guests carried

CALGARY, Oct. 3, 2013 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced September 2013 traffic results with a load factor of 76.6 per cent. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 5.7 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 9.2 per cent over the same period. The airline flew 4.9 million guests in the third quarter, a year-over-year increase of 7.1 per cent or approximately 330,000 additional guests.

"We are pleased with the strong traffic growth we saw in the third quarter, as we not only flew a record number of guests, but also achieved our third highest load factor for a third quarter while increasing capacity by 11 per cent. Our September load factor of 76.6 per cent was 2.5 points below last year's record high watermark, and slightly above our five-year historical September average of 76.5 per cent," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "As we transition through our shoulder period and into the busy winter season, I want to thank WestJetters for their ongoing efforts in providing our guests with a remarkable experience each and every day."

September 2013 traffic results

In September, the WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard received Canada's best travel rewards card rating for 2013 by MoneySense magazine, which determined overall value based on sign-up bonuses, fees and added perks specific to the travel category to determine how far your travel card will take you over a five year period. In addition for a limited time, cardholders of the WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard and the WestJet RBC MasterCard have even more reasons to celebrate with an exclusive opportunity to earn double WestJet dollars in return for using their card to buy WestJet flights or vacation packages this fall.

About WestJet
WestJet is Canada's most preferred airline, offering scheduled service to 87 destinations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Powered by an award-winning culture of care, WestJet pioneered low-cost flying in Canada. Recognized nationally as a top employer, WestJet now has more than 9,600 WestJetters across Canada. Operating a fleet of more than 100 Boeing Next-Generation 737 and Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft, WestJet strives to be one of the five most successful international airlines in the world. This year, WestJet launched its new regional airline, WestJet Encore.

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SOURCE WestJet