The leading Japanese carrier, Japan Airlines (JAL), and Dutch-French group Air France-KLM are holding talks, a source close to the matter told AFP on Wednesday. "Talks are being held between Japan Airlines and Air France-KLM," the source said, but gave no details.
A spokesman for JAL said meanwhile that the Japanese airline was not currently in concrete talks with Air France. JAL was considering various possibilities regarding possible partnerships with foreign companies, but nothing had been decided, he said. Air France-KLM declined to comment on any such talks.
On Tuesday, JAL, which suffered a record net loss in the first quarter of its 2009-2010 financial year, signalled that it was in talks with several foreign airline interests with a view to a partnership linked to a capital tie-up. The executive president of JAL, Haruka Nishimatsu, said nothing had been decided but that JAL was working with the aim of reaching an agreement towards the middle of October.