Paris considers loan to keep Air France-KLM flying

The French govt is preparing to come to the aid of Air-France KLM, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus and Donald Trump’s travel ban. France is studying how best to support the carrier, which is 14.3% state-owned, with senior finance ministry officials saying they were considering loans rather than increasing their shareholding. The govt has already said it would stand behind the airline. After Air France-KLM CE Ben Smith and the French finance minister spoke Friday, rumours swirled in the French press that the state was considering a capital injection. And while those rumours were swiftly denied by the finance ministry Saturday, officials said such an injection remained an option if the situation deteriorated further. <br/>