Air France's chief operating officer Pierre-Henri Gourgeon has invited Indian Airlines to join the SkyTeam alliance.

At a meeting with V Trivedi, chairman and managing director of Indian Airlines, Gourgeon proposed that the airline provide synergies on routes to and within India, as well as to the Gulf region.

Indian Airlines has not yet made a formal decision on the invitation, as it proposes to merge with Air India and is currently undergoing a safety audit by IATA.