TOULOUSE, France: Delta Air Lines s interested in forging alliances with carriers in Asia, the airline’s president said.

Ed Bastian, speaking at a media event in France, also said he expected Italy’s Alitalia to remain part of a transatlantic joint venture with Delta and Air France-KLM despite growing ties with 49-percent owner Etihad.

Bastian predicted further consolidation between smaller US carriers but not among the major US networks.

He was speaking before taking delivery of the airline’s first new Airbus aircraft since Delta merged with Northwest in 2009, sparking a series of large-scale airline tie-ups.