(Adds transport ministers comments to Le Parisien)
PARIS, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Shares in Air France-KLM
slumped 8.5% on Monday amid speculation that the group's French
carrier could step in to rescue bankrupt airline Aigle Azur.
Junior transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told
newspaper Le Parisien that Air France "wanted to make an offer"
and that the former chief executive of Air France's budget unit
Hop! had put together a team with financial backing.
Air France had "expressed an interest in Aigle Azur and the
government is likely to push them to get involved," one market
trader told Reuters in response to the share price move.
Interested parties have until midday (1000 GMT) to submit
offers for Aigle Azur.
"Aigle Azur's market is solid. So it needs a serious buyer,
able to save the maximum number of jobs possible," Djebbari told
Le Parisien. London-listed EasyJet was also studying the
dossier, the minister said.
Financial daily Les Echos reported Air France had put
forward the "leading offer".
The slump in Air France-KLM shares also came after the
release of the Franco-Dutch group's August traffic data, which
showed load factor and cargo activity down during the month.
(Reporting by Patrick Vignal; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing
by Leigh Thomas)