ATLANTA — The Federal Aviation Administration has accepted Delta Air Lines' and Northwest Airlines' plan for pursuing a single operating certificate in their proposed merger.
Atlanta-based Delta and Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest are still awaiting approval from shareholders and the U.S. Department of Justice for their merger. Pending those approvals, the carriers expect to close the deal by the end of the year.
 POUYA DIANAT/Cox News Service An arrival-departure monitor at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. For a larger, high resolution image, click HERE |
The acceptance of the plan for a single operating certificate is an early step in a long process toward operating as a single carrier.
Delta expects the process for the certificate to take 15 to 18 months. The single operating certificate requires approval of day-to-day processes to maintain safe operations of the combined carrier.
The company submitted its plan for the certificate before the close of the deal "to ensure that we're as far ahead of this as possible, all with the goal of ensuring there's a seamless transition," Delta spokesman Kent Landers said Monday.
John Laughter, Delta's senior vice president of maintenance operations and co-chair of a team in charge of achieving the single operating certificate, in a written statement called the acceptance of the plan a "significant milestone."
For the FAA, the move "puts us in a position where we're ready to begin working on the merger as soon as the DOJ issues its approval," said FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.
"We've got the people in place," Bergen said.
About 65 people currently work on Delta's certificate and about 65 on Northwest's, she said.
Principal inspectors for both carriers will lead the FAA's efforts on the single operating certificate.
US Airways and America West took two years to get their single operating certificate following their merger in 2005.
Kelly Yamanouchi writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: kyamanouchi AT ajc.com.
