No decision over Delta tie-up - JAL
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
Japan Airlines (JAL) has denied it has made a firm decision on whether to accept the proposed tie-up with Delta Air Lines. Bloomberg reported JAL’s decided on alliance proposals from Delta Air Lines Inc. or AMR Corp.’s American Airlines as it moves toward a probable filing for bankruptcy restructuring.
“We haven’t reached a decision,” JAL spokesperson, Sze-Hunn Yap, was quoted saying, following recent newspaper reports that the struggling Japanese carrier has reached an agreement with Delta covering codesharing services. If confirmed, the move would like mark the start of a US$1 billion investment in JAL by the Atlanta-based carrier, triggering JAL’s move from the oneworld to Delta’s SkyTeam alliance.
A Delta spokesperson was reported saying that the airline continues to be “in discussions with JAL”. It is thought that the affiliated Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp (ETIC) of Japan, the state-run body charged with restructuring JAL, prefers a link up with Delta, the world’s largest airlines, which is believed to have significantly greater long-term financial benefits than an extended tie-up with American Airlines and its oneworld partners.
ETIC will make a final decision on the future of JAL tomorrow, Japan’s Transport Minister, Seiji Maehara, told reporters last week. It is thought the carrier will file for bankruptcy.
Comments are closed.