Press Releases
May 7, 2008
Conrad Remains Skeptical of Northwest-Delta Merger
Senator Urges Northwest CEO to Meet the Needs of ND Travelers
Washington — Senator Kent Conrad met today with Doug Steenland, the CEO of Northwest Airlines, and said more must be done to convince him that a merger with Delta Airlines will not cut air service to North Dakota.
“I am still not sold on the idea that a merger between Delta and Northwest would be in the best interest of North Dakota,” Senator Conrad said. “I have asked Northwest for additional information. It all boils down to access and affordability for North Dakotans.”
Steenland is on Capitol Hill today with Delta CEO Richard Anderson for a Senate hearing on the proposed merger of their airlines. If the U.S. Department of Justice allows Delta and Northwest to merge, the resulting airline would be the largest in the nation.
Last month, Delta announced it is acquiring Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest in a deal valued at $3 billion. The headquarters for the combined airline will move to Atlanta, and the company will be called Delta.
Since the proposed merger was announced last month, Senator Conrad has said he is concerned how service to smaller communities will be affected. Additionally, with a slowing economy and soaring fuel costs, Senator Conrad is concerned that smaller markets like North Dakota may be the first to feel the squeezein higher fares.
“While this merger may be good for bigger cities like Boston, Detroit and Miami, my concern is how it will affect cities in our state like Bismarck, Devils Lake and Minot,” Senator Conrad said. “I will remain skeptical to this merger until I am convinced the resulting airline will better meet the needs of travelers in our state.”
In North Dakota, Northwest serves Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Jamestown, and Devils Lake.
