Delta Air Lines' board of directors is expected to meet over the next several days, according to a person briefed on the carrier's merger discussions with Northwest Airlines that would create
the nation's largest carrier. A deal could be announced next week.
The person, who is not authorized to talk about the negotiations, says one point of contention has been the role of
Northwest CEO Doug Steenland's at a combined company. It isn't clear if other issues like the combined company's name, its headquarters location and labor issues have been resolved, but management
structure with few exceptions have been.
Atlanta-based Delta has said repeatedly that if it were to combine with another carrier, it would want to be in control. The person briefed on the
discussions cautioned that things could change, since Delta also has been talking to Chicago-based United Airlines about a combination, and there have been reports that other carriers have been
talking among themselves about possible deals.
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