Oberstar Could Delay Airline Merger

Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., could drag out approval of the Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines merger until January, a spokesman said.

Oberstar, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, may be able to run out the clock on this one, forcing the merger to wait until a new administration settles in the capital, Oberstar’s spokesman, John Schadl, told The Politico Tuesday.

It is unclear whether such a tactic would derail the merger.

Oberstar has been a vocal opponent of the merger, which could lead to job losses in his home state, where Northwest has a major hub.

Job losses might also continue if the deal triggers what Oberstar called a cascade of mergers.

Oberstar said the Delta-Northwest merger has tie-ins to Air France, Alitalia, Czech Airlines and Air China, and would circle the globe.

But, industry lobbyists said the merger would prevail. The deal combines airlines with relatively few overlapping routes and gives Delta a major presence in Asia, analysts said.

I think the facts speak for themselves and the fact is it’s a very good merger, one lobbyist said.