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WestJet Airlines’ pilots recent decision to unionize will create challenges for the company’s ambitious growth strategy, analysts say, and brings uncertainty as the airline looks to expand internationally and launch an ultra low cost carrier.

More than 1,400 WestJet pilots will join the Air Line Pilots Association, an international pilots union, after 62 of the 97 per cent of eligible pilots participating voted to unionize last Friday.

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While the move was not surprising — WestJet pilots had previously tried to unionize in 2015 but 55 per cent voted against it at the time — president and chief executive Gregg Saretsky said the airline was “disappointed with the outcome of the vote.”

On Monday, Moody’s revised its rating outlook for WestJet from stable to negative, in part due to execution risk of moving towards an ultra-low-cost carrier and expanding its international reach.

“The negative outlook reflects our view that WestJet will be challenged to achieve the deleveraging we had previously expected, with its concurrent wide body expansion program and the creation of an ultra-low-cost carrier,” said Moody’s vice president and senior analyst Jamie Koutsoukis.