LIAT and Caribbean Star, the two Caribbean-based airlines involved in negotiations to join forces and create a single carrier, report that joint discussions, which began in earnest about a month ago, are moving forward, according to each carrier’s CEO.

Air France KLM reported quarterly operating earnings up 7.8 percent to €568 million and increased its merger synergy targets as it remained confident on full-year earnings.

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said in a newspaper interview he harbors many doubts about a possible tie-up between Air France KLM and Italian carrier Alitalia.

Delta Air Lines is trying to rally support from creditors to help fend off a takeover bid by US Airways, according to a newspaper report on Friday. Delta Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein and other executives have held a series of conference calls with creditors to sift through terms of US Airways’ offer, pressing creditors to back Delta’s restructuring plan, the Wall Street Journal reported on its web site.

Mexican officials said last week the country will sell its 48 percent stake in airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte via a global initial public offering that could rise up to $345 million. The sale will end the privatization of the operator of 13 airports in northern and central Mexico, including the one serving Monterrey, the country’s third-largest city.

Search engine marketing firm Spannerworks has been hired by TUI UK for search engine optimization and pay per click campaigns. According to an official release, Spannerworks is providing TUI UK with specialist SEO consultancy for Thomson.co.uk, which acts as a portal for the group’s various holiday businesses. The consultancy will help TUI UK overcome difficulties associated with applying a successful search strategy to such a large and complex site.