Northwest's Merger Offers Won't Fly: Delta

An airline merger isn't going to take off until Northwest comes up with a proposal that addresses Delta's concerns, according to Delta executives. So far, offers haven't jelled with Delta priorities, including maintaining employee seniority rankings, according to a Delta memo obtained by the Wall Street Journal. Delta plans to continue with its "stand-alone" plan until it sees a “potential transaction that meets all our principles,” the company’s CEO and CFO wrote.

In addition to protecting seniority and pensions, the airline insists on keeping its name and its Atlanta headquarters, reports Bloomberg. The merger that would create the world’s biggest airline has been hindered by pilots’ inability to agree on a combined seniority list that would protect benefits in a merged company. (More Delta Air Lines stories.)