With this agreement the two carriers will combine in an all-stock transaction with a combined enterprise value of $17.7 billion, creating America’s premier global airline.

On 23 June 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 by which the undertaking Delta Airlines, Inc. acquires within the meaning of Article 3.1 b) of the Council Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking Northwest Airline Corporation by way of purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

• Delta (Public, NYSE:DAL): Delta Air Lines offers customers service with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 311 destinations in 52 countries. With more than 60 new international routes added in the last year, Delta is adding international flights at a faster rate than any other major U.S. airline and is a leader across the Atlantic with flights to 32 trans-Atlantic destinations.
• NWA (Public, NYSE:NWA): Northwest Airlines is one of the world's largest airlines with hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam, and approximately 1,400 daily departures. Northwest Airlines began operations in 1926 and is America's oldest carrier with continuous name identification. Northwest is a member of SkyTeam, an airline alliance that offers customers one of the world's most extensive global networks. Northwest and its travel partners serve more than 1000 cities in excess of 160 countries on six continents..

Merger combines Delta’s strengths in the South, Mountain West, Northeast, Europe and Latin America with Northwest’s leading positions in the Midwest, Canada and Asia; competition will be preserved and enhanced as a result of complementary networks. With this new announcement, Delta Airlines streghens its position after the prior merger with Pan Am in 1991.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission. Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax ((32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44) or by post, under reference number COMP/M.5181 — Delta Airlines/Northwest Airlines, to the following address:

European Commission
Directorate-General for Competition
Merger Registry
J-70
B-1049 Bruxelles/Brussel