Delta, Northwest directors sign off on airlines’ combination

ATLANTA — ATLANTA 4:57 PM PDT -- A person familiar with the negotiations says Delta Air Lines’ and Northwest Airlines’ directors have approved a deal for Delta to take over Northwest and create the world’s biggest carrier.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement was expected later today, said the boards of both companies gave the deal the go-ahead.

The announcement will come a year after the two carriers emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Both carriers are losing money again but are in much better shape than the four much-smaller airlines that have filed for bankruptcy or gone out of business in recent weeks.

The deal will need antitrust approval, and integrating the work forces of fully unionized Northwest and Delta, where pilots are currently the only major unionized work group, will be tricky.