JAL to deepen ties with Malaysia Airlines

Japan Airlines Co Ltd (JAL) may expand a joint venture with Malaysia Airlines to cover US flights and other Asian routes in the future, the Japanese carrier’s president said.

The pair signed a memorandum of understanding for a JV on Malaysia-Japan flights on May 27, but JAL President Yuji Akasaka said that was only part of a deepening partnership between the two, both members of the oneworld alliance.

The Malaysian government is considering whether to shut, sell or refinance its loss-making national carrier, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in March.

JAL, which undertook a successful turnaround after entering bankruptcy in 2010, could provide advice to Malaysia Airlines based on its own experience, Akasaka told reporters on the sidelines of an airline industry conference in Seoul on Sunday.