January 13, 2003 / AFP AMSTERDAM - The Dutch carrier KLM is considering a collaboration between its low cost Buzz airline and its high-flying Irish rival Ryanair, the Dutch paper Algemeen Dagbald reported over the weekend. The paper, quoting unnamed sources within KLM, said that the Dutch airline is hoping for a code-sharing agreement between Buzz and Ryanair. Ryanair is one of the leading low cost airlines in Europe together with British carrier EasyJet. A KLM spokesman Bart Koster declined Monday to comment on the report, saying only: "The only thing I can say is that KLM is in talks with several prospective partners for Buzz. "We are looking at three types of partnerships: financial backers, other no-frills airlines and partners who can complement Buzz either in terms of airports or fleet for example." The Dutch company aims to conclude the talks in the first half of 2003, he added. Last year KLM announced it would focus more on the low cost market as budget flights looked promising for the future with growth estimated at 20-percent between 2002 and 2005. Set up in 1999 from the London Stansted airport Buzz flies to 24 destinations in Germany, France, Britain and The Netherlands.