CALGARY, June 9, 2016 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced May 2016 traffic results with a record load factor of 81.4 per cent. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 14.4 per cent year-over-year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 8.4 per cent over the same period. The airline flew a record 1.8 million guests in May, a year-over-year increase of 9.6 per cent or approximately 157,000 additional guests.

“We are very pleased with our continued strong traffic growth as we flew a record 1.8 million guests for the month of May and ushered in a new chapter in the History of WestJet with the launch of our wide-body transatlantic service to London,” said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “I want to thank our more than 11,000 WestJetters for continuing to deliver our brand of friendly caring service each and every day.”

In May, WestJet launched its new non-stop service between London (Gatwick) and six Canadian cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, and St John’s). WestJet flies a total of 56 weekly flights in both directions between Canada and London, including the only non-stop transatlantic service available from Winnipeg. London (Gatwick) is WestJet’s third transatlantic destination. In 2014, it launched non-stop service from St. John’s to Dublin, followed by service between Halifax and Glasgow in 2015.