CALGARY, March 9, 2017 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced February 2017 traffic results with a load factor of 85.2 per cent, an increase of 2.0 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 5.2 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 2.7 per cent over the same period. The airline flew a record 1.8 million guests in February, a year-over-year increase of 5.8 per cent or approximately 100,000 additional guests.

“We are pleased with our continued strong traffic growth as we achieved a 200 basis point improvement in load factor year over year and flew a record number of guests while celebrating WestJet’s 21st birthday,” said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “I want to thank our more than 12,000 WestJetters for continuing to deliver a safe and caring guest experience.”

In February, WestJet announced a significant investment in Quebec’s travel and tourism market with increased service and new routes to and from Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport as well as Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport. On March 15, 2017, WestJet will launch twice-daily service between Montreal and Halifax, starting June 15, 2017, WestJet will begin point-to-point service for the first time within the province with four daily flights between Montreal and Quebec City, and on October 15, 2017, WestJet will begin twice-daily service between Montreal and Boston.

In February, WestJet also announced plans to connect two long-standing WestJet destinations with the addition of service between Winnipeg and Abbotsford commencing April 30, 2017. On the same date, WestJet will also increase frequency between Edmonton and Hamilton.