NEW YORK -- Delta Air Lines announced a long-speculated deal to acquire Northwest Airlines for about $3.1 billion Monday, a combination that will create the world's largest airline and could lead to a series of other deals to reshape the U.S. airline industry.

The new carrier will operate under the Delta name, and be based in Atlanta.

Delta said the carrier will maintain the nine hubs of both airlines in the United States, Europe and Asia, serving more than 390 destinations in 67 countries. The combined carrier will have $35 billion in annual revenue, more than 800 airplanes and 75,000 employees, according to Delta.

But many of the employee unions at Northwest were quick to voice opposition to the deal, even though Delta said it is not looking to cut non-office staff.

Aircraft mechanics and related maintenance workers for US Airways on Tuesday ratified a three-year agreement covering 3,300 workers, including about 750 in Pittsburgh. Nearly two-thirds of the International Association of Machinist members voted in favor of the contract, which becomes amendable at the end of 2011.

The contract is the second major pact to be ratified since US Airways merged with America West in September 2005. Passenger-service and reservations agents agreed to a new contract in June 2006.

The IAM agreement raises former America West employees' pay to that of their counterparts in the east, then immediately increases all 3,300 workers' pay by 10 percent, followed by 3 percent increases in each of the next three years.

FORT ATKINSON, Wis., (BUSINESS WIRE) -- AMTSociety, an affinity group comprised of aircraft maintenance professionals, announced the winners of its first annual AMTSociety Maintenance Skills Competition held during the Aircraft Maintenance Summit at Aviation Industry Expo in March.

The AMTSociety Maintenance Skills Competition gives aircraft maintenance technicians, both licensed and student A&P mechanics, and U.S. military personnel involved in the aircraft maintenance field, the opportunity to test their combined and individual abilities against their peers. The competition featured both team and individual events.

A total of nine teams entered the first competition which included 11 events. Taking first place was Continental Airlines. The Continental team included Rene Hansen, Brian Hall, Frank Dudek, Nagy Mouhanna, and coach Russell Petersen. Second place was won by Aviation Institute of Maintenance N.W. Region. The Aviation Institute of Maintenance entered four separate teams. The AIM NW team included Paulina Gregory, Eric Johanson, Don Nugent, Stephen Ritter, and coach Glori Berkel. Third place was awarded to American Airlines; the team was organized by Dave Hayden and included Phil Firmano, James Labrecque, Robinson Torres, and Joseph Haczela.

The 9,300 active and furloughed mechanics who comprise the bargaining unit will become Teamsters as soon as the NMB vote is certified. The board is expected to certify the vote by close of business Tuesday.

The Teamsters victory culminates a two-year effort by United (Nasdaq: UAUA) mechanics and related personnel to gain strong representation. A key issue was the failure of their former bargaining representative, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, to hold United to its contractual obligation to limit outsourcing.

“We’re thrilled that United mechanics voted to join our union by such a large margin,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “United mechanics will now have the Teamsters strength behind them in their fight against outsourcing to foreign repair stations.”  

A review of maintenance records showed a test of the fire- suppression system on its 777s hadn't been performed, the Chicago-based airline said in a statement today. The equipment is now being scrutinized and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has been informed.

``United will not operate these aircraft until the tests are complete,'' the company said. The airline said it's working to provide additional planes or accommodate passengers with other carriers. Customers should check the status of their flights before leaving for the airport, it said.

United is one of at least four major U.S. carriers whose maintenance regimes are under scrutiny after it said this week that crossed landing-gear wires may have caused two Airbus SAS A320 jets to skid off runways. Regulators last month proposed a $10.2 million fine for Southwest Airlines Co. over missed inspections and American Airlines and Delta Air Lines Inc. last week grounded jets while complying with a government directive.

Widespread airplane audits called for by the Federal Aviation Administration have prompted both Delta and American Airlines to reinspect hundreds of their planes today.

On Wednesday evening, Delta became the latest carrier to take extra maintenance precautions. Delta announced it expects cancellations because it is reinspecting wiring on 133 of its planes.

The airline said it will contact customers in advance and offer rebooking. It expects to have the issue resolved by the end of the week.

Earlier Wednesday, American Airlines canceled approximately 300 flights to reinspect its fleet of MD-80 aircraft due to the very same wiring concerns. Delta is reexamining 117 of its MD-88 planes and 16 of its MD-90's.

American said inspections will continue throughout the evening, but the carrier has not yet cancelled any flights for Thursday.

WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it would fine Southwest Airlines Co. $10.2 million for safety violations that included knowingly flying more than three dozen jets without mandatory inspections for structural damage.

The fine would be the largest ever levied against an airline, the FAA said.

When Southwest belatedly conducted the inspections, it found cracks in the bodies of six Boeing 737-300s, with the largest measuring 4 inches. Serious fractures can depressurize an aircraft and in 1988 caused an Aloha Airlines jet to rip apart, killing a flight attendant.

The FAA announced the fine a week before congressional investigators were to disclose findings from their own inquiry into Southwest's failure to meet airworthiness directives. That investigation was prompted by information provided by Dallas-based FAA inspectors who said their supervisors allowed the planes to keep flying even after Southwest reported its failure to make the scheduled inspections.

On March 1, 2008 a informational meeting was held to discuss issues related to the representation vote at United Airlines.

Ustream.tv now has the video available of this meeting.

Below is a link to the segments in order.

Pt 1

Pt 2

Pt 3

Pt 4

Pt 5