Iowans who fly Delta or Northwest Airlines should see little immediate change after the carriers cleared the last obstacles Wednesday to create the world’s largest airline. The merger won antitrust approval and a lawsuit blocking the transaction was settled. The deal is expected to be final by year’s end. Rhonda Chambers, manager of the Fort Dodge Regional Airport, says Iowa fliers should not be concerned.
"It’s going to be business as usual. The passengers aren’t going to see any change as far as in their tickets or what they have already purchased," Chambers says. "It’s a transition period. They’ve been working through this process for quite a while and will continue to do so." Northwest Airlines provides daily service from Fort Dodge to Minneapolis-St. Paul. Chambers says she’s been following the proposed merger of Delta and Northwest for some time.
Northwest also serves Mason City, Waterloo, Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Dubuque, in addition to the Quad Cities and Omaha. Delta serves airports in Des Moines, Omaha, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and the Quad Cities.