Air France-KLM is in talks with its US SkyTeam partners regarding slot exchanges to permit the US carriers to operate to London Heathrow when the US-EU open skies agreement takes effect next spring, Vice Chairman Leo van Wijk confirmed earlier.

Speaking to media in Vancouver at the IATA AGM, van Wijk said KLM is talking with Northwest Airlines and Air France with Delta Air Lines. They also have agreed in principle that Continental Airlines will participate. "London Heathrow will become an additional transatlantic hub for SkyTeam partners," he stated.

Because KLM and NWA operate as if they were one airline on the North Atlantic, transferring the slots is a simple matter. "KLM and Northwest have a long and successful joint venture and we could let Northwest fly with our slots and put our code on," van Wijk said. Having NWA operate from LHR to its Detroit and/or Minneapolis hubs is "a no-brainer," he remarked, although he noted that KLM's slot times "do not necessarily easily fit into a transatlantic operation." AF and DL do not have a similar arrangement so some form of compensation probably would be involved.

Turning to possible future alliance partners, he said SkyTeam is moving forward with searches in Latin America, Asia and India but denied speculation the alliance already has settled on Air India.

Separately, SkyTeam named van Wijk chairman of its governing board. He is also president and CEO of KLM, posts he will relinquish next month. He will continue as vice chairman of AF-KLM and he stressed that his appointment to SkyTeam "should not be seen as building superstructure" at the alliance; "I will be the only permanent fixture."