Paris  - French-Dutch carrier Air France-KLM said late Wednesday that it has probably incurred an operating loss of about 200 million euros (258 million dollars) in the third quarter of 2008.

The airline said in a statement that it was "not in a position at this stage to make any pronouncement on the operating income forecasts circulating in the market" for its full fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2009.

Air France-KLM said that its objective remained "to generate a positive operating result," but this depended on the economic situation, especially on its cargo business, "which is facing a tough operating environment."

Tuesday's announcement by the company that it faced a third-quarter operating loss sent its share price plummeting. On Wednesday, it was off another 2.08 per cent, closing at 7.63 euros. (dpa)