Sales VP Says NWA Deal Would Help Battle High Fuel Prices

He didn't say anything that hasn't already been reported... but the simple fact Delta Air Lines executive Lee Macenczak said anything at all regarding a possible acquisition of Northwest Airlines -- in public, with cameras and microphones rolling -- is news in and of itself.

During a luncheon Wednesday with business leaders in Gwinnett County, Macenczak -- Delta's executive vice president of sales and customer service -- confirmed the news Delta is in talks with Northwest about a possible merger. He also outlined the carrier's reasons for doing so -- namely, to better position both airlines against rising fuel prices, and increased competition.

"When we talk to our global customers, they tell us that we need to be able to deliver a global product to them," he said, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We want to be the global airline of choice."

Macenczak also conceded Delta had talked with United Airlines about a similar bid... but he notes Northwest, with its strong network in Asia, would better complement the Atlanta-based carrier's current operations, without significant overlap.

As ANN reported, Delta's board of directors was scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the merger bid -- as were their counterparts at Northwest. The results of those talks hadn't been disclosed as of Wednesday evening... and there are conflicting reports on whether pilots at both carriers had given their tentative approval to the merger.

Macenczak cautioned once again the deal wasn't done yet... and even if a merger with Northwest falls through, he believes Delta could survive and flourish as an independent airline.

"We believe we have a great stand-alone plan," he said. "No matter what happens on the merger front, the Delta stand-alone plan is something we sold to our creditors and they believed in it."

Macenczak also joked he himself won't believe the rampant reports of a Delta/Northwest union, until he gets an official call... and, reads about it in the media. After covering months of unconfirmed reports, citing "unnamed sources"... we wouldn't either.

FMI: www.delta.com, www.nwa.com