WestJet reports 19th consecutive quarterly profit, but bottom line halved

Saying it was pleased with its performance, given the challenges of the past year and claiming to be the second most profitable North American carrier, WestJet reported fourth quarter net earnings of CAD20.2 million or 14 cents per diluted share and full-year net earnings of CAD98.2 million or 74 cents per diluted share. In fact, CEO, Sean Durfy said that, in light of the challenges of the past year, he was "ecstatic" with the company's results. The fourth quarter net income decline was 51.9% from 4Q2008, while the decline for the full year was 45% from the year-ago period.