Air France-KLM and its U.S. partner Delta Airlines (DAL) are thinking on ways to keep the troubled Italian flag carrier Alitalia in the SkyTeam Alliance without purchasing it, Reuters reported on February 16, 2018.

The Franco-Dutch group is not interested in buying Alitalia, according to Jean-Marc Janaillac, Chairman and CEO of Air France-KLM, but its leave from alliance would have a negative impact for Air France-KLM.

Frederic Gagey, CFO of Air France-KLM, told Bloomberg that Air France-KLM is laying foundations for the new North Atlantic joint venture with its partner airlines – Delta Airlines (DAL) and Virgin Atlantic. Alitalia, another partner of Air France-KLM, is also in the talks.

Similarly, Janaillac said that within a framework of the new North-Atlantic routes, a special role is foreseen for Alitalia, and it would be “quite negative” if the Italian carrier became a competitor, according to Reuters.

Alitalia is known for its long struggling history of financial loses and multiple restructuring attempts. After going into administration in March 2017, the carrier is still on auction, struggling to find suitable bidders.

Germany’s Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA) , British low-cost carrier EasyJet and U.S. private equity fund Cerberus are among companies that have already been named as potential buyers, while Air France-KLM denies numerous reports of its participation in the bid.