Lufthansa is in talks with Turkish Airlines about working more closely together.
The two airlines are looking at a range of options such as an expanded codeshare deal or including Turkish within its transatlantic joint venture with United, according to a report in The Financial Times.
“Co-operation may be developed in certain areas such as catering or maintenance,” said Turkey’s finance minister Mehmet Simsek at a press conference in Ankara yesterday (November 19).
Turkish is one of the fastest growing airlines in the region with plans to increase its fleet from 200 to 350 aircraft by 2020.
Talks between the two airlines are said to be at an early stage and a full-scale merger is thought to be unlikely.
German chancellor Angela Markel suggested that the two Star Alliance airlines could forge a closer relationship during a visit by the Turkish prime minister to Berlin last month.