Bankrupt Japan Airlines (JAL) is to maintain its ties with American Airlines and the oneworld alliance, so ending talks with Delta Air Lines and the SkyTeam alliance over a proposed switch. While JAL has yet to give confirmation, the story has been widely reported across local Japanese media.

The US airlines have been competing to take a stake in JAL, keen to utilise the routes that the Japanese carrier flies both inside Japan and to other parts of Asia. Initially, JAL had looked set to switch to SkyTeam as part of its recovery plan, but the bankrupt carrier’s new management team and the government-run Enterprise Turnaround Initiative of Japan – which is supervising the airline's restructuring – have decided that the switch would carry too much cost, and be too risky. It is also believed that worries surfaced over a JAL-Delta partnership triggering antitrust concerns in the US.

While it might be wise not to rule out another twist in this protracted tug-of-war, there is a very strong chance that this decision is final, and official confirmation will follow soon.

jason.holland@ubmaviation.com