Northwest Airlines is poised to join the SkyTeam international airline alliance, CEO Richard Anderson told the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce at a breakfast in downtown Minneapolis on Sept. 9.

Anderson indicated that he expects Dutch carrier KLM to join Northwest as a SkyTeam member.

“We are on the verge of forming what will be the strongest alliance in the world, the SkyTeam alliance with Delta, Continental, Northwest, KLM, Air France and Alitalia,” Anderson said.

Other current SkyTeam members include Aeromexico, CSA Czech Airlines and Korean Air.

“We hope that as the SkyTeam alliance matures, one day you’ll see an Alitalia airplane and Air France airplane here in Minneapolis,” Anderson said.

The SkyTeam alliance, which is led by Air France and Delta, has been wooing both Northwest and Continental to join its partnership, but no deals have been finalized.

Northwest executives are optimistic about the potential of joining SkyTeam. “It will give us the scope and breadth of a worldwide network,” Anderson said.