CALGARY, Jan. 10, 2017 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced December 2016 traffic results with a load factor of 80.8 per cent, an increase of 1.6 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 9.1 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 7.1 per cent over the same period. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the airline flew a record 5.4 million guests, a year-over-year increase of 11.0 per cent or approximately 531,000 additional guests. For the full-year of 2016, the airline flew a record 22.0 million guests, a year-over-year increase of 8.2 per cent or approximately 1.7 million additional guests.

“We are very pleased with the double-digit traffic growth in 2016 as we achieved our second highest full-year load factor of 81.8 per cent and welcomed a record 22 million guests on board,” said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “I want to thank our over 12,000 WestJetters for continuing to deliver our award winning brand of friendly caring service during this busy holiday season.”