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CSA Czech Cuts Loss As Restructuring Proceeds

 

September 13, 2007

CSA Czech Airlines said on Thursday it had slashed losses in the first half to CZK175 million crowns (USD$8.8 million) from CZK773 million a year ago, as the company proceeded with a restructuring plan.

 

The government agreed on Wednesday to sell the airline once the restructuring process is completed next year.

 

CSA said operating revenues from scheduled and charter flights rose 6.4 percent to CZK10.3 billion.

 

The airline served 2.49 million passengers in the first half, up one percent from a year ago.

 

CSA said the results confirmed the company was on track to meet its CZK42 million profit outlook for the full year, a swing from a loss of CZK397 million last year.

 

"The improvement is driven by meeting the plan on the side of revenues and achieving higher cost savings," Chief Executive Radomir Lasak said in a statement.

 

The company said it had decided to retain a long-haul fleet, and may add the twin-aisle Boeing 767 or Airbus A330 planes to its portfolio if it finds affordable ones with the desired configuration on the market.

 

CSA, a member of the Sky Team alliance which also includes Air France-KLM , Delta Air Lines and Alitalia, operates a fleet of 50 mostly mid-range planes.

 

(Reuters)

 

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pieter..thanks for starting this thread. any news on MH and skyteam? what about the KLM guy who was supposed to be the new head of skyteam...

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Alright, a Skyteam thread, good one Pieter.

 

Looking forward to hear anything about KLM, CO and Aeroflot

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pieter..thanks for starting this thread. any news on MH and skyteam? what about the KLM guy who was supposed to be the new head of skyteam...

 

Izanee,

 

Leo van Wijk (ex CEO KLM) is not supposed to be Head of Skyteam, he is..... :pardon:

 

You should give him some time to 'work' on the MH-issue....sooner or later MH will enter ST :good:

 

Guys,

 

Glad you support me in starting this....all ST news will be placed here in the future, including the news previously placed at the KL or AZ threads, to name a few ;)

 

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Air France-KLM Eyes Alitalia, IberiaSeptember 17, 2007 Air France-KLM is studying a potential merger with either Italy's Alitalia or Spain's Iberia, according to a report on Monday.Air France's chairman and chief executive Jean-Cyril Spinetta said in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper the "consolidation process was not finished; there will be other steps".Alitalia's long-time commercial partner Air France-KLM is frequently cited in Italian media as a likely buyer for the airline -- whose privatization flopped in July -- despite repeated denials by the French airline.Spinetta said Air France KLM had held "informal" talks with potential Spanish financial partners, though it was not yet in talks with Iberia."Iberia is in good shape, but I understand that the shareholders and management think that consolidation is inevitable and that it is better to anticipate this than to wait and have to act in a more difficult situation," the CEO was quoted as saying."We are in the phase of evaluating the potential for cooperation with Iberia," he added.(Reuters)

 

 

Troubled Alitalia Cannot Sustain Two HubsSeptember 17, 2007 Troubled carrier Alitalia cannot sustain two hubs in its current state, Italy's industry minister told a newspaper on Sunday, as the airline plans to nearly halve routes at Milan's Malpensa Airport as part of a survival plan.Minister Pierluigi Bersani added in comments to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero: "The development of Malpensa cannot be entrusted to a company which risks bankruptcy.""Alitalia, now more than ever in its current state, cannot sustain two hubs," Bersani said.Alitalia could cut 150 flights at Malpensa -- around half its total there -- a union source has said, as part of a survival plan drawn up after no one wanted to buy the airline.Low-cost carrier Ryanair this week stepped into Alitalia's backyard saying it was ready to launch 80 routes from Milan airports Orio al Serio, where it already operates, and Malpensa, a new departure, with planes worth more than USD$1 billion from its fleet.Regional Affairs Minister Linda Lanzillotta also stepped into the debate on the planned scaleback with remarks in Corriere della Sera's Sunday edition."The Alitalia crisis is inevitably linked with the role of Malpensa, which must be protected and developed," Lanzillotta told the newspaper."Malpensa has the right to be developed, and it seems to me Ryanair's offer goes in that direction. One certainly cannot make Alitalia act against market logic... It has already done so long enough, and the consequences are in front of everyone's eyes."The planned Malpensa revamp has come under fire in Italy's north. Milan Mayor Letizia Moratti and Lombardy Governor Roberto Formigoni are to meet officials in Rome on Friday, Corriere della Sera said, adding the topic was likely to come up.Transport Minister Alessandro Bianchi said on Saturday the ministry is to hold a Monday meeting to discuss Alitalia slots at Malpensa, adding it would be "silly" not to consider Ryanair's offer.State-controlled Alitalia announced a survival plan in August that included scaling back its presence at Malpensa, after an attempt by the government to sell the airline flopped in July. Management must now find a buyer.Alitalia, which has hubs at Malpensa and Rome's Fiumicino, reported a slightly smaller first-half loss on Wednesday but warned that results would fall short of forecasts.(Reuters)

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OMG not Iberia, MH!!! :pardon:

 

We're talking about 'buying' IB, not joining ST, Seth, or do you want AF-KL buy MH (if that would be possible) ? :pardon:

 

 

OMG not IB!!! Yucky airline but I need them for my OW explorer Europe-South Am links. :p

 

Think they 'need' IB for their vast South- and Central American network ;)

 

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Think they 'need' IB for their vast South- and Central American network ;)

 

Same with OW. ;)

The LA/IB combo provides a great link to South/Central America, as well as AA's vast North America-South/Central America network.

So I'm going to be a spoilsport (for this thread) and hope that BA and the private equity funds acquire IB soon and keep it firmly in OW. ;)

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From my personal standpoint, I would really love MH and CI to join Skyteam as quickly as possible. That would make both my personal and corporate travel all on the same page.

 

I was flipping through both CI and NW magazine to learn that starting Aug 1, 2007, passengers could accrue miles on CI Dynasty program while flying NW. That was certainly very good news. If everybody is in the same alliance, that would be even better.

 

Go Skyteam.

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Air France-KLM CEO Expects Alitalia Talks

 

September 25, 2007

The head of Air France KLM was quoted on Monday as saying he expected talks on a possible alliance with Alitalia to start next month.

 

In an interview with La Tribune newspaper, Jean-Cyril Spinetta said also a new phase of synergies would start soon in Air France's own merger with KLM and that the airline had to be ready to take stakes in rival operators outside Europe. :o

 

"We expect him (Alitalia chief Maurizio Prato) to make contact with us, and without doubt others, during October," Spinetta was quoted as saying.

 

He affirmed Air France KLM would not do a deal with Alitalia or Spain's Iberia, which it is also eyeing, unless it was "strongly creative" of value.

 

Air France KLM refused to take part in an auction this year for the Italian state's near 50 percent stake in Alitalia which found no buyers. Air France KLM has since said it would listen to any fresh proposal from Alitalia.

 

Spinetta told La Tribune he expected Prato to look for "an industrial or financial partner, or both" but no contact had taken place yet.

 

He did not rule out Air France KLM taking stakes in airlines outside Europe.

 

"We have, like industrial groups... to become a carrier with a presence and business in Asia, Latin America, everywhere in the world where traffic is developing, and this by using our know-how, our capital, our expertise and our human resources."

 

Air France KLM was also studying taking advantage of new transatlantic travel rules to launch direct US flights from London, he said. He did not say whether he meant Heathrow Airport, where travel to the United States is dominated by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines and United Airlines.

 

Spinetta said he expected the top 10 airlines in 2025 to include Chinese groups, Indian companies, at least one Japanese carrier, three American firms and perhaps some from the Gulf.

 

Air France KLM, currently the world's biggest airline by revenue, was determined to stay in the top 10, he said.

 

(Reuters)

 

Does he mean a stake in MH ??? :o :blink:

 

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Aeroflot Not Considering Buying Alitalia

 

September 25, 2007

Aeroflot is not considering buying Italian airline Alitalia at the moment and is inclined to drop the idea entirely, Deputy General Director Lev Koshlyakov said on Tuesday.

 

Aeroflot has said it wanted to see new, more attractive terms before deciding whether to bid for the Italian company.

 

(Reuters)

 

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Air France Prepares Bid For Iberia

 

September 26, 2007

Air France KLM is planning to team up with two Spanish firms to bid for Spain's Iberia against a group led by private equity group TPG, Expansion newspaper said on Wednesday.

 

The Air France KLM offer would keep 51 percent of Iberia in Spanish hands, allowing the airline to keep flying certain routes in Spain and abroad, the newspaper reported.

 

On Monday, the head of Air France KLM, Jean-Cyril Spinetta, said the airline would not do a deal with Iberia or Italy's Alitalia unless it was "strongly creative" of value. In July, the airline said it might be interested in Iberia.

 

TPG, in a consortium with British Airways and Spanish firms Ibersuizas, Vista Capital and Quercus Equity, has been talking to Iberia management for months and has made an indicative offer of 3.60 euros a share.

 

Iberia stock closed at 3.25 euros on Tuesday.

 

Expansion said Air France KLM would bring on board two Spanish family investment vehicles -- Torreal, which belongs to Juan Abello, and Planeta, owned by the Lara family, the lead shareholder in Barcelona-based airline Vueling.

 

Planeta declined to comment. Torreal was not immediately available to comment.

 

(Reuters)

 

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Delta Plans Expansion At Congested JFK

 

September 27, 2007

Delta Air Lines said on Wednesday that it plans to increase capacity at New York's delay-prone John F. Kennedy Airport by 20 percent next summer.

 

Delta, which along with low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways and American Airlines dominates service at JFK, said it plans to add 14 new international routes at the airport by next summer.

 

But in order to ease congestion, Delta plans to schedule flights earlier and later and reduce the number of small planes serving the hub.

 

"In order to accommodate this expansion, we have essentially de-peaked our operation," said Delta Chief Executive Richard Anderson during a briefing with journalists.

 

The expansion and scheduling changes mean that Delta will have 6 percent fewer peak arrivals and departures next summer and no turboprop aircraft serving the airport, the carrier said.

 

The US Federal Aviation Administration has taken the first step toward possibly limiting flights at JFK by requesting spring and summer scheduling information from major carriers. (see other thread at MW :pardon: )

 

The problems at JFK, which has one of the worst records for on-time performance, came into focus over the summer amid record delays by US airlines.

 

Delta is hoping its moves to reduce congestion help avoid growth-choking restrictions at the airport, but said other airlines will also have to make changes.

 

"This has to be a cooperative effort," said Glen Hauenstein, Delta's executive vice president in charge of network planning. "This is one of the pieces of the puzzle."

 

Hauenstein said the FAA's initial response to Delta's plan was "quite positive."

 

JFK, where Delta operates out of aging terminals, is a key part of Delta's strategy to shift planes to lucrative international markets and away from hard-fought domestic routes.

 

The airport serves the New York metropolitan area, along with Newark and LaGuardia airports.

 

Delta CEO Anderson said the company was prepared to make an "appropriate investment" to upgrade its terminals at the airport.

 

The new routes include out-of-the-way destinations such as Lagos, Amman, Dakar, Panama City, Guatemala City and Liberia.

 

Delta said its strategy of picking under-served international destinations has paid off; every international route launched last year has been profitable.

 

"This is profitable and sustainable flying," said CEO Anderson.

 

(Reuters)

 

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'Comatose' Alitalia Can't Repay Debt

 

September 26, 2007

Alitalia is in a "comatose" state and cannot repay over EUR1 billion euros (USD$1.4 billion) in debt due in the next three years, its chairman said, raising new doubts on whether the airline can survive without a buyer.

 

The Italian airline is expected to post losses of just under EUR400 million (USD$563.1 million) excluding special items this year, and needs a strong alliance to turn its fortunes around, Maurizio Prato told a Senate hearing.

 

Alitalia has begun a fresh hunt for a suitor to resuscitate it after an auction for the Italian state's controlling stake in the airline collapsed in July.

 

"Alitalia is in a comatose state, it's on life support and I am very surprised by the almost general state of denial," said Prato, who was appointed last month.

 

He also attacked Alitalia's unions for their attitude to its worsening condition.

 

"I was expecting a different type of response given the time I dedicated in August talking to them... They negotiate, but then they overrule us and ask for a meeting with the government like they did in the past few days."

 

He said the company did not have enough money to repay EUR320 million (USD$450.5 million) of loans in the next two years or EUR714 million worth of bonds due in 2010.

 

Alitalia posted a 2006 loss of EUR626 million after the carrier wrote down the value of its fleet and has warned its results this year would fall short of forecasts.

 

Since the flop of the auction for Rome's 49.9 percent stake in the airline, Alitalia has had initial meetings with potential suitors and unveiled a new three year survival plan to keep it afloat while the search for a buyer continues.

 

Prato said he would report back to the board on the search in the first 10 days of October. The process would reach a more decisive second phase by mid-November, he said. No clear front-runners have emerged so far, although small domestic rival Air One has expressed interest and had a meeting with Alitalia's sale adviser last week.

 

Russia's Aeroflot, another of the three parties shortlisted in the failed auction, denied an Italian news agency report it was still in the bidding.

 

"Aeroflot is not considering buying Alitalia," Deputy General Director Lev Koshlyakov said on Tuesday.

 

Italian media say long-time commercial partner Air France-KLM could step in despite snubbing the failed auction.

 

The head of Air France KLM, Jean-Cyril Spinetta, said in a newspaper interview on Monday he expected talks on a possible alliance with Alitalia to start next month.

 

(Reuters)

 

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Good news for our Metroplex based spotters ;)

 

KLM will start nonstop A330-200 daily flights between AMS and DFW effective 30mar2008 :yahoo:

 

It will be code-shared with NW and, as a consequence, can be booked as KL0669/NW8669 from AMS and as KL0670/NW8670 to AMS.

It will be KLM's 61st intercontinental destination, and will offer excellent connection at AMS from India, Africa and most European destination, and will at DFW with most of the US destinations :good:

 

In cooperation with NW, a total of 250 flights a week will be offered between Europe and Northern-America...

 

According Peter Hartman, KLM's CEO, a new "swinging tropical" destination will be advised shortly as well :pardon:

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According Peter Hartman, KLM's CEO, a new "swinging tropical" destination will be advised shortly as well :pardon:

 

HNL? DPS? Both are tropical and 'swinging.' :pardon:

 

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HNL? DPS? Both are tropical and 'swinging.' :pardon:

 

KLM operated to DPS before and stopped that route, because of low-yield traffic :(

 

My feeling is, it will be somewhere in Central-America (PTY ?), as no cities served there at present ;)

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KLM operated to DPS before and stopped that route, because of low-yield traffic :(

 

My feeling is, it will be somewhere in Central-America (PTY ?), as no cities served there at present ;)

 

CUN? :drinks: :rofl:

 

But in all seriousness the Carribean seems to see pretty good traffic. BA even maintains a 777 with F service (sometimes 2xdaily) to BGI, one of my favourite tropical islands. :good: The airport is also pretty cute - with open air lounges last time I was there. :D

Mmmmm... I wanna go back now...

Edited by Keith T

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CUN? :drinks: :rofl:

 

CUN is low-yield holiday traffic as well and served already by both Arkefly and Martinair...don't think they'll "invade" this destination, as ST offering good connections from MEX on AM ;)

 

Still 'feel' it will be somewhere in Central-America (PTY/SJO ???)

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CUN is low-yield holiday traffic as well and served already by both Arkefly and Martinair...don't think they'll "invade" this destination, as ST offering good connections from MEX on AM ;)

 

Still 'feel' it will be somewhere in Central-America (PTY/SJO ???)

 

I was joking about CUN. :p

 

I'm not familiar with KLM's destinations in Central/South America, but I think quite a few of those places are rather underserved and will benefit from a new major entrant into the market. :) Places like PTY and SJO are definitely good candidates as direct connections from Europe would be very welcome.

 

Quite a few of the Carribean destinations like BGI and UVF seem to have all 3 British carriers (BA, VS, BD) doing well out of them, and judging by BA's loads I think there's good demand from high yield traffic at those places. I think they're also definitely good candidates for KLM, as it'd eliminate the need to go via LHR/LGW for those flying from Continental Europe.

 

But you work for KLM so you'd know better than me. PTY/SJO - is that a hint? ;)

Edited by Keith T

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PTY/SJO - is that a hint? ;)

 

Would bet 99.9% on PTY :pardon:

 

Why ? :huh:

 

CM/Copa is a ST member, so can offer excellent connections via PTY :yahoo:

 

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AMSTELVEEN - KLM begint in het voorjaar van 2008 met rechtstreekse vluchten van Schiphol naar Panama-stad. De hoofdstad van Panama wordt de 62ste bestemming in het intercontinentale routenetwerk van de maatschappij. Dat maakte KLM maandag (1 oktober) bekend. Op de route Amsterdam-Panama wordt vanaf 30 maart 2008 drie keer per week gevlogen met een MD-11.

 

Het Midden-Amerikaanse land was van 1949 tot 1998 ook al een KLM-bestemming. De maatschappij wil met de nieuwe route haar marktpositie in Latijns-Amerika versterken. Volgens het bedrijf is Panama de snelst groeiende economie in de regio.

 

Vlucht KL757 vertrekt op woensdag, vrijdag en zondag om 13.30 uur vanaf Schiphol en komt dezelfde dag om 17.40 uur aan in Panama City. De terugvlucht KL758 vanaf Panama City Tocumen Airport zal woensdag, vrijdag en zondag om 19.35 uur vertrekken en de volgende dag om 13.10 uur aankomen op Schiphol.

 

In Panama kunnen passagiers overstappen op vluchten van COPA Airlines naar diverse regionale bestemmingen. Deze Panamese maatschappij is recentelijk toegetreden tot SkyTeam als 'Associate Member'.

 

Keith and others,

 

It's official now: PTY !!! :pardon:

 

Eff 30mar08 - 3x a week, on wednesday, friday and sunday by MD11, dep 1330 arr 1740/dep 1935 arr next day 1310...

 

Cheers ;)

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Air France Sets Condition On Airline Bids

 

September 28, 2007

Air France KLM will only consider making a bid for Spain's Iberia or Italy's Alitalia if the deal meets its target of an 8.5 percent return on capital after tax by 2009-2010, an airline executive said on Friday.

 

Speaking at the autumn conference of brokerage Cheuvreux, Chief Financial Officer Philippe Calavia repeated that European consolidation was necessary.

 

Air France has in the past not ruled out being interested in Iberia and has looked from a distance at Alitalia.

 

It has also previously said that struggling Alitalia should be privatized and restored to financial health before it would consider making an offer, and it refused to take part in an Italian government auction that flopped earlier this year.

 

Air France added that the level of forward bookings for the next three months remained good and confirmed its current year outlook.

 

Calavia said in a statement that unit revenues for the second quarter "should show a further rise year-on-year, while the improvement in the cargo division is continuing."

 

"The strong level of activity during the summer period together with the successful roll-out of the 'Challenge 10' cost-savings program make us confident... of increasing our operating income (for the full year)," it said in a statement.

 

(Reuters)

 

Continental's September Unit Revenues Climb

 

October 2, 2007

Continental Airlines' consolidated passenger revenue per available seat mile in September rose between 4.5 percent and 5.5 percent, helped by fuller planes and higher capacity.

 

Continental said its consolidated load factor rose 0.8 points from a year earlier to 79.0 percent.

 

Traffic, as measured by revenue passenger miles, rose 5.6 percent in September, while capacity, as measured by available seat miles, increased 4.5 percent.

 

(Reuters)

 

Continental Eyes More Flights To Asia

 

October 4, 2007

Continental Airlines will add more destinations in India and China, tapping their booming economies to boost the carrier's international revenues, a company official said on Wednesday.

 

Continental this week launched a non-stop New York-Mumbai service, and will add more Indian cities when it takes delivery of its Boeing 787s, said James Summerford, vice president of European, Middle East and Indian operations.

 

"The two places to be in today are China and India," he told reporters at a news conference.

 

"We will begin operations to Shanghai next year and will add more Indian cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai once we've taken delivery of the 787s," he said.

 

Continental has firm orders for 25 787s and options for 35 more, and will start taking delivery of the lightweight aircraft from 2009, Summerford said.

 

US carriers Delta Air Lines and American Airlines also fly to India, where a booming economy is boosting business and leisure travel.

 

India's top private carrier, Jet Airways, and state-owned Air India compete on the US routes, and more Indian carriers are scheduled to launch US services.

 

"India is a big market and a sustainable First Class business, as well," Summerford said.

 

Continental, which launched its New York-New Delhi service in 2005, posted strong quarterly earnings in July, and said demand for its transatlantic and other international flights was strong, while pricing in the US market was soft because of competition.

 

International operations now made up 47 percent of Continental's total revenues, up from 22 percent a decade ago, and this would increase further, Summerford said.

 

"What's going to be a big driver of our international expansion is the 787, which will open up new markets like south east Asia and Australia," he said.

 

The extra range of the fuel-efficient 787 would make direct routes such as Tokyo to New York easier and cheaper to fly.

 

"Do I wish we had more planes that could fly further? Absolutely. There isn't as much pressure on our international fares, and there are more people in the seats in front," he said.

 

(Reuters)

 

Air France, Lufthansa On Alitalia Bidder List

 

October 5, 2007

Alitalia's financial adviser has drawn up a shortlist of five potential bidders interested in the struggling Italian carrier that includes rivals Air France and Lufthansa, financial sources said.

 

Smaller Italian carrier Air One and private equity group TPG -- both of which participated in the Alitalia auction that collapsed in July -- are also on the shortlist, which will be presented at a Monday Alitalia board meeting, the sources said.

 

Alitalia's adviser, Citigroup, was tasked with contacting all potential suitors for the airline by the end of September as part of the carrier's renewed attempt to find a buyer for Rome's controlling 49.9 percent stake.

 

Long-time commercial partner Air France was once seen as Alitalia's most likely buyer, but snubbed the failed auction and denied any interest in the Italian airline until it turned itself around. However, it has softened its tone recently, saying it would listen if approached by the Italians.

 

Italian media -- which frequently trump up French interest in Alitalia -- speculate that the airline's new survival plan, which scales back its presence in Milan and cuts back on unprofitable long-haul routes, was designed with Air France in mind.

 

Pressure has grown on Italy's government to wrap up a sale of its stake quickly as the carrier continues to post losses. Alitalia's chairman himself last month described the airline as "comatose" and bemoaned the "almost general state of denial" surrounding the airline.

 

He has warned that Alitalia will not be able to pay more than EUR1 billion euros in debt due over the next three years, raising doubts on whether the airline can survive over the long-term without a buyer.

 

Air France KLM said it has not made any steps to declare it was a candidate.

 

"Air France has not presented a candidacy for Alitalia and we are not aware of any shortlist" the spokesman said.

 

Air France has looked at Alitalia from a distance but finance director Philippe Calavia said last month the airline would only make acquisitions if they met the company's target of an 8.5 percent return on capital, after tax, by 2009-2010.

 

(Reuters)

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