WestJet to gain market share with Delta joint venture: Moody's

[December 09, 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.

A WestJet Boeing 737-700 takes off at the International Airport in Calgary, Alberta, May 3, 2011. REUTERS/Todd Korol/File Photo

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)

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