WestJet flying high after February’s load factor increase

CALGARY — February was a good month for WestJet, which flew an additional 62,000 passengers for a year-over-year increase of 3.2%.

In total, the airline’s February 2019 traffic results had a record load factor of 87%, an increase of 0.6 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 5.6% year over year, while capacity (ASMs) grew 4.9% over the same period.

On Feb. 20, WestJet launched its first revenue flights on the 787 Dreamliner received in January, while also taking delivery of its second Dreamliner on Feb. 19. The aircraft will operate on domestic flights between Toronto and Calgary for crew training and regulatory compliance before starting scheduled international flights between Calgary and London (Gatwick) on April 28.

The airline will receive its third 787 Dreamliner aircraft this month. Hub locations and routes for the remaining seven aircraft yet to be delivered have not been announced.

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