CALGARY, July 11, 2016 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced June 2016 traffic results with a record load factor of 80.4 per cent an increase of 3.5 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 12.3 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 7.5 per cent over the same period. In the second quarter of 2016, the airline achieved a load factor of 80.8 per cent, an increase of 2.7 percentage points year over year, and flew a record 5.3 million guests, a year over year increase of 7.0 per cent or approximately 345,000 additional guests.

“We are very pleased with our double-digit traffic growth as we flew a record numbers of guests in the second quarter and also celebrated WestJet Encore’s third birthday,” said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “As we transition into our busy summer season, I want to thank our almost 12,000 WestJetters for their commitment to providing our brand of friendly caring service each and every day.”

WestJet now expects its RASM for the second quarter of 2016 to decline between 5.5 to 6.0 per cent year over year, as compared to its previous guidance of a decline between 7.5 to 9.5 per cent year over year, with the difference primarily driven by a higher second quarter load factor than previously expected.

In June, WestJet began flying new limited-addition non-stop seasonal peak summer travel routes between Brandon, MB and Toronto, ON, and between Vancouver, BC and both Hamilton, ON, and London, ON. Also in June, WestJet announced new seasonal non-stop service connecting Edmonton, AB, and Hamilton, ON, and Winnipeg, MB, with Kelowna, BC.

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). 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.