Air Canada has reported a system load factor of 81.0% for December, compared with 80.8% in December 2010 – and 81.6% for the full year. Traffic in December increased 3.0% on a capacity increase of 2.8%. Air Canada reports traffic results on a system-wide basis, including regional airlines from which Air Canada purchases capacity.
“For the month of December and full year 2011, Air Canada recorded load factors of 81.0 and 81.6 per cent, respectively,” said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive. “Load factor for the full year was the second highest in Air Canada’s history, surpassed only by our all-time record of 81.7% for 2010. For both the month of December and 12-month period, we experienced traffic growth in all markets Air Canada serves. These strong results underscore the effectiveness of our disciplined capacity management and award-winning product. I want to thank our employees whose professionalism and focus on taking care of our customers was recognised throughout the year.”
In 2011, Air Canada was ranked ‘Best International Airline in North America’ in a worldwide survey of more than 18 million airline passengers conducted by independent research firm Skytrax. Also in 2011, readers of Global Traveler magazine voted Air Canada ‘Best Airline in North America’ and readers of Business Traveller voted Air Canada ‘Best North American Airline for International Travel’ and ‘Best In-Flight Services in North America’. In the annual Ipsos Reid Business Traveller Survey, Air Canada was named ‘Canada’s Favourite Airline for Business Travel’. Air Canada was preferred by 73% of Canadian business travellers surveyed for 2011, the third consecutive year of improvement in Air Canada’s ratings in the national survey.
Commenting on the ‘Best North American Airline for International Travel’ award, Robert Atkinson, Air Canada General Manager – Sales, UK, Ireland and Northern Europe, said: “Air Canada is delighted to have earned this recognition from readers of Business Traveller magazine, who are experienced and knowledgeable travellers. Our customers have shown their appreciation for our superior product featuring 180-degree lie-flat suites in Executive First, seatback video available throughout our fleet, and an unsurpassed schedule of 84 flights per week from the UK to eight major Canadian cities with connections to 175 destinations worldwide.”
