ABJ - August 4 - WestJet today reported second quarter 2011 net earnings of $25.6 million, or 18 cents per share, a significant increase from the net earnings of $6.8 million and five cents per share reported in the second quarter of 2010. These financial results mark WestJet’s 25th consecutive quarter of profitability.

“A strong pricing environment allowed us to manage our yield in the second quarter to offset the elevated cost of fuel,” said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “We saw improvements in our key operational metrics this quarter and also kept our controllable costs in check which contributed to our strong results.”

In the second quarter of 2011, WestJet launched four new interline relationships and increased the number of city pairings available through its code-share arrangement with American Airlines.

“As we expand our reach and welcome aboard new guests, I thank WestJetters for the genuine level of care they continue to display. Even the small things like a friendly smile and a warm welcome add to an already great guest experience and contribute to our airline’s overall success. Their hard work helped deliver the net earnings per guest of $6.50 that we achieved this quarter.”

WestJet anticipates continued year-over-year RASM growth for the third quarter of 2011 based on advanced bookings. However, this year-over-year growth is expected to come at a moderated pace versus that seen during the first half of 2011 since the pricing environment was more robust during the second half of 2010 as compared to the first half of 2010.