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Delta and Northwest agree to merge, creating world’s largest airline

April 16, 2008 | Online Travel

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines agreed to merge late Monday, in a $3.1 billion deal that would create the world’s biggest airline and could prompt other airlines to pursue mergers of their own.

The deal could be followed quickly by another, airline executives and industry analysts said. A leading candidate is a combination of United Airlines and Continental Airlines, which have explored the idea. The airlines now may try to get the deal wrapped up within the next 30 days, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations said Monday night. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.

The Delta-Northwest agreement came despite failed efforts to get pilots at both airlines to agree on how to combine their own ranks, an issue that could lead to labor unrest and disruptions to flight operations in the coming years. Northwest pilots immediately said they would oppose the deal.

Get the full story at The New York Times

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