Spanning the globe as the world's largest airline

Rumors about a merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines began months ago and speculation ran high that it was not so much a question of if but of when would the consolidation occur? Yesterday the announcement was officially made: Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines would merge to become Delta. Airline officials said the merger would crreate a more stable platform for future growth, and offset the economic pressures from rising fuel costs and global competition.

Consumers are worried it will mean diminished service to small communities, less competition and higher fares. And while the merger will likely play out slowly and in stages, it's important to note that Delta and Northwest have complementary route networks with not much overlap. In fact, the combined systems will touch every continent on the globe. Delta also stated it would not close any hubs.

The Delta site provides some good information about the Delta and Northwest merger and its viewpoint on what the consolidation means to employees, customers and communities.

Here are some views from Delta and Northwest's hometown hub newspapers, respecitively: Detroit Free Press and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

This will likely not be the final word in domestic carriers merging. Speculation continues as United Airlines and Continental Airlines have been linked to merger talks. Read more.