Air France KLM has confirmed its interest in TAP. At the press conference to present the quarterly results, the executive president of the carrier, Ben Smith, admitted that TAP could be “an option”.

The group is “very familiar with the Iberian Peninsula” and TAP could be “another option”, said the official, whose company is in full recovery, albeit with a high level of indebtedness.

The group had revenues of 8.1 billion euros in the third quarter, exceeding 2019 levels by 503 million. Operating results were 1.02 billion euros with an operating margin of 12.6%, also above from 2019 levels. Net debt fell to 2.3 billion from end-2021 levels.

Air France KLM “will definitely commit itself on a formal basis” if there is a possibility, said the official in a response to journalists about his interest in the Portuguese carrier, which in turn should present accounts next week. TAP had positive operating results in the first half of 2022, “a telling sign that the restructuring plan is being carried out effectively”, Minister Pedro Nuno Santos said in Parliament.