Japan Airlines (JAL) plans to cut 6,800 jobs, as an airline trade body upped its projected losses for the global industry this year.

由于今年整个航空行业的不景气，日本航空公司计划裁减6800个工作岗位。

The airline expects a heavy loss for the year

"The personnel reduction cannot wait," said JAL president Haruka Nishimatsu.

Mr Nishimatsu said JAL will have a deal in place with an international carrier by the middle of October.

Media reports have said several US and European airlines are in the running to take a stake in the loss-making carrier.

The airline had already launched a programme of job cuts, plans for fuel-efficiency and a focus on business customers.

Reports this week have suggested that Delta¹ Airlines and American Airlines are in talks to invest in JAL to expand into Asia via code-sharing agreements.

On Tuesday, another report said Air France-KLM joined those discussions. Each is discussing an investment of as much as $300m (£181m), the reports said.

Shares in JAL dropped 3.4%, after climbed nearly 8% on Monday.

Iata outlook

Separately, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) increased its forecast for losses across the whole industry to $11bn, from $9bn it predicted（预知，预报） earlier this month.

"The outlook for the industry has deteriorated（恶化）," said Iata director-general Giovanni Bisignani.

Airlines have already lost $6bn in the first half alone, Iata said, with Asian airlines among the hardest hit.

In the Asia-Pacific, airlines will post losses of $3.6bn, up from the previous forecast of $3.3bn.

European carriers are expected to be worst off this year, losing $3.8bn instead of the $1.8bn initially² forecast.

Iata estimates losses next year of $3.8bn, and doesn't expect airlines to be in profit again until 2011 at the earliest.