Mr. Gregg Saretsky reports

WESTJET REPORTS APRIL LOAD FACTOR OF 82.7 PER CENT; AIRLINE FLIES 1.5 MILLION GUESTS IN THE MONTH, A 2.2 PER CENT INCREASE

WestJet Airlines Ltd. had April, 2013, traffic results with a load factor of 82.7 per cent. Revenue passenger miles, or traffic, increased 3.2 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles, was 7.4 per cent higher over the same period. The airline flew 1.5 million guests in April, a year-over-year increase of 2.2 per cent or approximately 33,000 additional guests.

"We are pleased with the continued year-over-year growth in traffic, and have experienced the same soft patch reported by other North American carriers in April, which is not only attributable to the timing of the Easter and Passover holidays, but also the cancellation of some of the Thomas Cook capacity purchase commitments we were unable to resell so late in the season, and the loss of the one-time benefit from Air Canada's labour uncertainty in the second quarter of 2012. We are however seeing stronger bookings in May and June," said WestJet president and chief executive officer Gregg Saretsky. "WestJetters continue to demonstrate passion for our airline, and I thank them for the teamwork and dedication they show in providing our guests with a remarkable experience."

                                   APRIL, 2013, TRAFFIC RESULTS

                      April, 2013  April, 2012    Year to date 2013      Year to date 2012 

Load factor                 82.7%        86.2%                83.9%                  83.8%   
ASMs (billions)             2.013        1.874                8.046                  7.564 
RPMs (billions)             1.666        1.615                6.754                  6.336

WestJet will hold its quarterly analysts conference call today, May 7, 2013, at 8 a.m. MDT (10 a.m. EDT). Mr. Saretsky and executive vice-president of finance and chief financial officer Vito Culmone will discuss WestJet's first-quarter 2013 results, and answer questions from financial analysts and members of the media. The conference call will be available in Toronto by calling 416-915-3239, in Vancouver by calling 604-638-5340, and across Canada and the United States through the toll-free telephone number 1-800-319-4610. The call can also be heard live through an Internet webcast accessible via the media and investor relations section of the WestJet website.

WestJet will also hold its AGM today, May 7, 2013, at 2 p.m. MDT (4 p.m. EDT), at WestJet's Calgary Campus at 22 Aerial Pl. NE. The AGM webcast will be available live in the media and investor relations section of the WestJet website.

We seek Safe Harbor.