JAL may get highest credit rating in the sector

[TOKYO] Japan Airlines Co would probably get the industry's highest credit rating should the carrier that emerged from bankruptcy in 2011 return to the bond market.

The nation's second-largest airline is preparing to seek a ranking that will enable it to expand funding options, Norikazu Saito, its finance head, said last week.

Credit Suisse forecasts JAL may get a Standard & Poor's rating as high as BBB+, the No 8 investment level, matching the current highest rating in the industry held by Ryanair. Bloomberg's default-risk model suggests it deserves the sixth best level.