the two companies confirmed. "During the next 30 days both companies and their advisors will determine how a common strategy can be developed which meets the objectives of both parties." Financially troubled Alitalia is a Delta partner in SkyTeam, as is Air France-KLM, which already has a
codeshare partnership with Etihad. The national flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad also
owns a piece of Airberlin, a member of SkyTeam rival Oneworld, and in 2013 agreed to
buy a stake in Switzerland-based regional carrier Darwin Airline. Lufthansa has lodged an objection to the potential Etihad-Alitalia deal with the European Commission, according to Reuters.