Air France has revealed that Korean Air (KAL) could be a founder member of the global alliance it plans to launch with Delta Air Lines this year - despite the two Western carriers' recent safety-related suspensions of codeshares with the Asian airline.
The French flag carrier's chief executive Jean Cyril Spinetta also discloses that the new grouping will have no more than "six or seven members", so that it does not become "too complicated". The ideal mix, he adds, would be the recruitment of two more airlines from Europe, two carriers from Asia and one from Latin America.
Spinetta confirms that AeroMexico will fill the latter position (Flight International, 14-20 July). Although KAL's safety record is a worry, he is "confident" that it will successfully implement a "change of culture".
KAL is "not able to confirm" that it will join the Delta-Air France global alliance, but admits it "was turning cartwheels" when it heard Spinetta's comments.
One possibility is that KAL will join the alliance without codesharing, but concentrate on other aspects of co-operation. Indeed, KAL says a recent meeting with Delta concluded only that the codeshare should "be reinstated within a year", given safety improvements.
Spinetta rejects suggestions that Singapore Airlines, a key target of the rival Star Alliance, is a potential recruit, but confirms that another Star prospect, British Midland, is being head-hunted and that he has had "frequent discussions" with the UK carrier's chairman, Sir Michael Bishop.
An invitation to Swissair remains open, but only "limited discussions" have been held.
Source: Flight International
