Air Tahiti Nui (TN, Papeete) has filed with the US Department of Transport for antitrust immunity in its planned joint venture with Air France (AF, Paris CDG) which will encompass metal neutrality (the practice in which an airline uses aircraft operated by alliance partners to serve its own routes) and revenue sharing on its Papeete-Los Angeles International-Paris CDG route. Its Los Angeles-Papeete route, however, is not covered in the proposal. Given France's historic ties with Tahiti, the joint venture is viewed as "essential" for the continued viability of Air Tahiti Nui as an international airline. In addition to maintaining its codeshare agreements with American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth), Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith) and JAL - Japan Airlines (JL, Tokyo Haneda), the Tahitian carrier is considering partnerships with other Skyteam members Alitalia (AZA, Rome Fiumicino), Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) and of course, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol), as a means of enhancing its competitiveness though it maintains that it has "no plans" to join Skyteam, as in its view, "the cost and burdens in joining would outweigh the benefits."