CALGARY, ALBERTA--WestJet Airlines announced its traffic
statistics for August 2001 today, featuring an increase in revenue
passenger miles (RPMs) of 60.7% to 253,583,230, up from
157,760,823 in August 2000. Year to date, RPMs have increased
57.2% to 1,435,364,337 from 912,938,198 during the same eight
month period in 2000.
Available seat miles (ASMs) grew 61.0% to 292,296,913 in August of
2001, up from 181,593,677 in August of 2000. During the first
eight months of 2001, ASMs increased 58.8% to 1,869,002,165 from
1,176,594,078 during the same period last year.
WestJet's load factor changed slightly in August 2001 to 86.8%
compared to 86.9% in August of last year. Year to date, the
company's load factor was 76.8%, compared to 77.6% during the
first eight months of 2000.
WestJet Airlines serves the 17 Canadian cities of Victoria,
Vancouver, Comox, Abbotsford/Fraser Valley, Prince George,
Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray,
Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Hamilton, Ottawa and
Moncton with its fleet of 26 Boeing 737 aircraft. Service to
Sudbury Ontario commences on December 10, 2001. WestJet is
publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol
WJA.
