Iberia + Air France-KLM

[GSMini]

Merger rumour machine is back!

Last rumours are saying (saw it in an aviation Spanish site called extracrew, I can post a link to the site, but it´s in Spanish) that Iberia is now looking to AF-KLM for a possible merger, instead of BA. Both airlines have seen their stock value rise between 5 to 11 % due to this rumours.

More info on this one?

Regards!:}

[Otterman]

Highly unlikely. Air France/KLM has enough on its plate. It already has a 25% stake in Alitalia. It is already huge, and adding Iberia to the mix would undoubtedly cause a major upheaval with the competition authority. Also different alliances. I think BA and Iberia is the only possible move, but this has become a very complicated issue in view of stock prices and future outlook for both airlines, and countries.

[GSMini]

Hi there,

Seems unlikely to me too, but you know...One never knows. And as said in that web, Fernando Conte literally said, that Iberia will get the numbers right...no matter if it´s with BA or any other airline. They need to merge with someone.

But to be honest, there will be a major issue with competition, that´s for sure. Even more..they´re not even in the same alliance..

Regards.

[ulxima]

Does anybody know if there is any LD to pay for a mermer airline of an alliance if they move to another one?
During Alitalia soap opera about Air France-KLM and Lufthansa to buy a stake, an Italian newspaper published a news about possible LDs for Alitalia to pay if they had left Skyteam for Star Alliance.
This was considered another reason for accepting AF-KLM offer instead of LH.

I wonder to what extent this could be true.

Ciao,
Ulxima