Westjet readies for Air Canada face-off after a highly successful 2012
Skift Take
Westjet is one of the carriers leading the way with bundles of services, which will surely show up for flyers of its new regional unit Encore to the tune of an expected C$80 million bump in revenue for 2013.
WestJet Airlines Ltd. posted higher fourth-quarter earnings than analysts estimated and boosted its dividend 25 percent after operating fuller flights.
Profit of 46 cents a share compared with an average projection of 43 cents from analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Net income at Canada’s second-largest carrier rose 71 percent to C$60.9 million ($61 million), from C$35.6 million, or 26 cents a share, a year earlier, the Calgary-based company said.
WestJet is gearing up for the mid-2013 start of its Encore regional unit, which will compete with Air Canada and seek part of a C$2 billion market for short-haul Canadian and trans-border flights.
The airline’s dividend increase, and it
