A press report suggesting that EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti would seek to break up the SkyTeam alliance if more carriers joined was dismissed as premature by the EU, according to Reuters.

The Commission began investigating the competitive effects of the alliance in July of last year. A Commission spokesman confirmed the investigation was continuing, but said no decision was expected soon.

German newspaper Handelsblatt said Monti would oppose the SkyTeam alliance if KLM, Continental and Northwest Airlines joined.