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SEOUL (Reuters) – Japan Airlines Co Ltd (JAL) could extend a joint venture with Malaysia Airlines in the future to cover US flights and other Asian flights, the company's chairman said.
The couple signed a memorandum of understanding for a joint venture on Malaysia-Japan flights on May 27, but JAL chairman, Yuji Akasaka, said it was only a part of the deal. An in-depth partnership between the two members of the oneworld alliance.
The Malaysian government plans to close, sell or refinance its national deficit carrier, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in March.
JAL, which has successfully enlisted after a bankruptcy in 2010, could give advice to Malaysia Airlines on the basis of its own experience, Akasaka told the press on the sidelines of a conference in Beijing. air transport industry in Seoul on Sunday.
"We believe that the current situation of Malaysia Airlines is similar to that of Japan Airlines and we have recovered from this situation," he said through a translator.
Akasaka said that once the JV Malaysia-Japan would have been approved by the authorities, it would be possible to expand the partnership, to cover flights from the United States and other Asian routes .
Malaysia Airlines lacks direct flights to the United States, but JAL operates a large number of US air routes.
Akasaka said it was too early to say whether JAL would consider an equity investment in Malaysia Airlines, but further discussions are possible.
(Report by Jamie Freed, edited by Himani Sarkar)
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