The Swiss government yesterday said it was ready to provide some financial support to rescue the national airline industry sector but was unwilling to do so on its own.

Swiss President Moritz Leuenberger told a news conference after a cabinet meeting he could give no exact amount of any state help pending the outcome of further talks. He said companies and cantons (states) should also contribute to avoid major job losses in the country and to preserve long-distance air services from a Swiss hub. "We expect business to recognise its responsibility here," he said.

There is currently a plan to resurrect most of the airline activities of aviation company Swissair Group under which regional airline Crossair will take over two-thirds of the Swissair fleet in two stages.

The EU Commission also told Italian airline Alitalia that it could receive the final 750 billion lire tranche of a previously-agreed state aid package but said there would be no more allowed after that. The first two tranches, worth two trillion lire, were paid in 1997 with the third held back while Italy unsuccessfully contended that a recapitalisation of the airline was not aid but a market operation by its leading shareholder - the state.