News
WestJet passenger traffic up in February
March 5, 2010, Calgary - Passenger traffic at air carrier WestJet rose nine per cent in February from the same month a year earlier and the company said it is seeing an improvement in demand in the travel industry.
March 5, 2010 By The Canadian Press
The Calgary-based company said Wednesday it recorded a load factor, measuring the amount of its seating capacity used during the month, of 82.5 per cent, little changed from a year earlier. Capacity measured in available seat miles grew 9.3 per cent over the same period in 2009.
"While our first quarter is traditionally a weaker period for domestic travel, directing the majority of new capacity towards our international expansion is allowing us to partially offset this seasonality,'' president and CEO Sean Durfy said in a statement.
Durfy added that WestJet is "seeing signs of a slight, albeit slow, improvement in the demand environment,'' with first-quarter capacity measured in revenue passenger miles "tracking to an anticipated decline of less than three per cent,'' commented Sean
Durfy. "We are encouraged by these positive indications and feel well positioned to capitalize on improving industry conditions.''
