Financial Times reported that Lufthansa is considering financial aid to it's trans-atlantic and Star Alliance partner United Airlines.

In a sharp U-turn from earlier comments, Jürgen Weber, chief executive, said: "I have not said that I would rule out payments. We have intensified the discussions with United Airlines."

In an earlier report back in August, Lufthansa claims that they were not considering such plan.

Mr Weber's comments came as Lufthansa reported a jump in operating profits for the nine months to the end of September from EU290m to EU790m, only slightly less than the record nine-mon th figure in 2000, as the pace of its recovery accelerated.