Canada's WestJet posts surprise profit as it flies more passengers

(Reuters) - WestJet Airlines Ltd <WJA.TO>, which is being acquired by Onex Corp <ONEX.TO>, reported a surprise quarterly profit on Friday, as it flew more passengers at higher prices.

The Calgary-based carrier said yield - the average fare per passenger per mile - rose 4.5% in the second quarter ended June 30.

WestJet said traffic rose 6.8%, while passenger carrying capacity ticked up 2.8%.

Shareholders of Canada's second-biggest airline voted earlier this week in favor of its acquisition by billionaire Gerry Schwartz's private equity firm Onex Corp <ONEX.TO> for C$3.5 billion.

The company also said it had received final approval from the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta and expects the deal to close later this year if it receives remaining regulatory approvals.

WestJet reported a net profit of C$44.3 million ($33.65 million), or 38 Canadian cents per share, in the latest quarter, compared with a loss of C$15.8 million, or 14 Canadian cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts on average had estimated a loss of 14 Canadian cents per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Total revenue rose 11.5% to C$1.21 billion, beating analysts estimates of C$1.17 billion.

Rival Air Canada <AC.TO> is expected to report on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Shanti S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)