FRANKFURT, Feb 13 (Reuters) - German long-distance bus firm FlixBus aims to team up with airlines to provide transportation for air passengers to and from airports in the country, competing with state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily reported.

“We are currently in talks with various airlines, including the Lufthansa group,” co-founder Jochen Engert told the newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday.

FlixBus became a major player on European long-distance routes after Germany liberalised the market for inter-city bus services in 2013.

It survived a fierce price war among new market entrants to boost its market share in Germany to more than 90 percent, making its bright green coaches a common sight on German motorways. It does not own any of the buses but rather works with local and regional partners.

Engert affirmed plans for FlixBus to expand to the United States this year, where it will compete with companies such as Megabus, operated by Britain’s Stagecoach Group and the famous Greyhound bus line.

“We believe that the American market offers a lot of potential for FlixBus,” he said.