Northwest Airlines is one step closer to buying out its regional feeder carrier. Northwest has made an agreement with Mesaba’s corporate parent MAIR Holdings to purchase the airline. Attorneys for Mesaba’s unsecured creditors announced the deal in bankruptcy court, asking permission to propose their own reorganization plan for Mesaba because they claim that MAIR Holdings is acting too slow in the process.

Northwest earlier said they plan to acquire Mesaba in exchange for giving the airline a $145-million unsecured claim in Northwest’s bankruptcy case. In Iowa, Mesaba serves Waterloo, Des Moines, Sioux City and Cedar Rapids, and provides the only commercial airline service in and out of Mason City and Fort Dodge.