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Merger with Northwest Airlines
On April 14, 2008, following merger talks first reported on January 15, 2008, Delta and Northwest Airlines announced that they would merge to create the world's largest airline under the Delta name.[59] The merger formed the largest commercial airline in the world, with 786 aircraft. The Atlanta-based combined airline will have $17.7 billion enterprise value. The company also stated on April 14, 2008 that it agreed with its pilot union to extend the existing collective bargaining agreement through the end of 2012. The agreement, subject to a vote by the pilots, provides Delta pilots a 3.5 percent equity stake in the created new airline.
Northwest WorldPerks was merged into Delta SkyMiles on October 1, 2009. Operating certificates were merged on December 31, 2009. Reservations systems were merged on January 31, 2010; officially retiring the Northwest brand.
Approval
The deal passed anti-trust overview from the Department of Justice; as most analysis expected, the deal was not blocked, due to the minimal overlap between the two airlines' routes and very little threat to competition in the industry.[64] The merger was also expected to be the subject of several hearings on Capitol Hill. Representative Jim Oberstar of Minnesota, who also serves as chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, made clear his opposition to the merger, and he fought it in Washington[citation needed]. There was also strong support for the merger at the Capitol from legislators from Georgia, including Representative Lynn Westmoreland, Representative David Scott, and Senator Johnny Isakson. On August 7, 2008, the merger won regulatory approval from the European Union.
After a six-month investigation, government economists concluded the merger would likely drive down costs for consumers without curbing competition. On October 29, 2008, the United States Department of Justice approved the merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest.
Transition
As of December 31, 2009, 216 of NWA's 303 aircraft have been painted in Delta livery. Northwest's three US hubs have been fully rebranded and gates have been consolidated along with other US airports. Some routes are being transferred to Delta from Northwest and to Northwest from Delta depending on the route. In airports where Northwest and Delta operate in separate terminals, one airline moves to another's terminal. For example, in Los Angeles International Airport, NWA, which had a smaller operation, moved into Delta's Terminals 5 and 6 from its previous home in Terminal 2 on June 30, 2009.
Northwest officially ceased operations on January 31, 2010, however certain planes still operate in NWA colors and some of them may not even be repainted as Delta colors. Old NWA markings can also be seen on ship's equipment, such as beverage and food carts, that are loaded on former Northwest aircraft. In May 2012 the final group of employees, flight attendants, began to work together. They had previously voted No to Union representation.
