TUIfly has denied speculation that the German airline is planning to link up with easyJet.
But it but declined to comment directly on a report that another European carrier was interested in buying the airline.
A German magazine report said last Thursday that easyJet was close to taking a stake in TUIfly, part of the Tui Group, as a way of securing flying rights within the European Union should the UK leave the EU and not agree access to the bloc’s single aviation market.
But a TUIFly board member representing the labour force said on Friday a second European carrier could be interested in buying the airline.
“There’s another European airline to whom TUIfly could be sold,” Martin Locher, a TUIfly pilot and supervisory board member told Reuters on Friday.
He declined to name the airline, but said it was a non-EU carrier. He also said it was not clear if talks with easyJet were continuing.
TUIfly management said in a letter to employees” “A partnership or easyJet taking a stake in TUIfly is not being prepared, nor is this planned”.
EasyJet declined to comment while a TUI spokesman declined to comment directly on the second European airline.
TUIfly has 41 aircraft, 14 of which are currently operated by loss-making Air Berlin.
Sources have told Reuters that Lufthansa and Air Berlin are in talks over Lufthansa leasing around 40 Air Berlin aircraft and crews for use by its Eurowings subsidiary, with a decision expected this week.
“Given the difficult financial situation at Air Berlin, we are regularly in contact with Air Berlin, plus with other airlines and partners and exploring opportunities for co-operation,” TUIfly added.
Tui chief executive Fritz Joussen said in August that the group was seeing pressure at the German airline due to overcapacity in the market.