Lufthansa reportedly holds talks with Virgin Atlantic over possible bmi sale/merger

Lufthansa has reportedly held talks with Virgin Atlantic Airways regarding the possible sale of bmi or a merger between the two carriers (The Sunday Times/Bloomberg, 23-Aug-09). Another option is for the carrier to sell bmi's London Heathrow slots to carriers including British Airways, with a sale of bmi's regional operations to rival airlines, such as Flybe, also a possibility.