this moved a while ago on the AP wire, very similar to the story on tages-anzeiger.ch :

87 23 04 08
Crossair seeking trans-Atlantic partner for U.S. flights
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) _ Crossair, the company that is forming the new Swiss national airline, said Tuesday it wants to find a North American partner for trans-Atlantic flights.

While Crossair is in talks with two possible global alliance partners, it is more important for the airline to have a North American partnership with a single carrier,
Crossair spokesman Markus Baumgartner told Dow Jones Newswires on Tuesday.

«We will join an alliance only if it makes sense to us,» he said. «What is of utmost importance for us is a partner for the North American business. A bilateral deal with
either American Airlines or Continental Airlines is a possible solution.»

Crossair plans to announce its decision March 26, two days before the once-regional carrier officially merges its fleet with collapsed airline Swissair to fly under the name Swiss.

Industry watchers have suggested that the OneWorld alliance, led by British Airways and American Airlines, would be a viable partner for Switzerland's new flag
carrier.

American Airlines had a code-sharing agreement with Swissair and has intensified flights to Zurich airport since Swissair's collapse.

SkyTeam, dominated by Air France and Delta Air Lines, is also seen as a possibility for Crossair. Delta is a former Swissair partner.

191501 mar 02GMT