Air France KLM has hired Lazards to study an eventual acquisition of a stake in Austrian Airlines, which is being privatized, the newspaper Les Echos said in its Friday edition.
The Franco-Dutch airline and other bidders have until Sunday to officially express their interest.
Air France KLM had no immediate comment.
Last week, Turkish Airlines said it was interested in principle in becoming a strategic partner in Austrian.
Austrian's board has screened possible buyers and sources close to the board said this month a majority support Lufthansa.
The board sees Turkish Airlines, along with Air France-KLM and Aeroflot, as second choices.
Austria's OeIAG is offering its entire 43 percent stake in Austrian, worth around EUR157 million euros, but said the size of the stake sold would depend on preserving an Austrian group of core shareholders owning 25 percent between them.
