December 8, 2017
(Reuters) – WestJet Airlines Ltd’s <WJA.TO> joint venture with Delta Air Lines Inc <DAL.N> will put the Canadian air carrier in a stronger position to gain market share, credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service said.
WestJet on Wednesday announced the Delta joint venture to boost its trans-border flight service and said it expects to nearly double the number of aircraft owned by the carrier by 2020 as it targets both cost-conscious passengers and higher-paying customers.
WestJet’s decision is credit positive for unsecured debt holders. However, it faces execution risk in carrying out large scale projects simultaneously, Moody’s said in a note published on Thursday.
Shares of Canada’s second-largest air carrier were up 0.8 percent on Friday.
(Reporting by Anirban Paul in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
