Release #08.DAL-NWA2
September 23, 2008

Delta and Northwest Pilot Leadership Meet in Joint Summit

Atlanta, GA/ Minneapolis, MN—On Sunday, September 21, 2008, the leadership of the Delta and Northwest pilot groups, both represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), met for a Joint Summit in Chicago, IL.

Each pilot group’s Master Executive Council (MEC), the elected representatives of both the Delta and Northwest pilots, met in advance of the close of the corporate merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, to discuss the transition of the two MECs to a single combined MEC, an MEC that will be the largest in all of ALPA.

The elected representatives were joined by the Delta and Northwest MEC administration officers, a number of committee members from each group, and several of ALPA's economic and legal advisors. The summit included presentations and discussions on airline industry outlook, financial data, and consideration of merged MEC governance issues.

According to Northwest MEC Chairman, Captain Dave Stevens, “This constructive first meeting sets the foundation for a successful transition to a merged Delta and Northwest pilot leadership. In these volatile times, it is essential that the elected leaders of both pilot groups proactively engage with each other in advance of becoming a single governing body. To date, we have broken the traditional mold when it comes to labor’s role in airline mergers, and this joint summit represents our further commitment of active involvement on behalf of the pilots we represent.”

Delta MEC Chairman, Captain Lee Moak, added, “As the soon-to-be largest voice in the world’s largest pilot union, we have an obligation as well as a professional responsibility to pursue a policy of active engagement with each other and also with our counterparts at other airlines, our management, government agencies, industry officials, Wall Street, and our elected officials to ensure the voices of the pilots we represent are heard loud and clear on the issues that affect our livelihoods and our profession. We will continue to assert our relevance at every opportunity.”

Both MECs reaffirmed their commitment to shaping the success of the merged Delta, our nation's first truly global airline.

Founded in 1931, ALPA represents 53,000 pilots at 37 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. ALPA represents approximately 7,000 active DAL pilots and 5,100 active NWA pilots. Visit the ALPA website at http://www.alpa.org, the Delta MEC website at http://www.deltapilots.org and the Northwest MEC website at http://www.nwaalpa.org.

SOURCE: Air Line Pilots Association
CONTACT: DAL ALPA, Kelly Regus, 404-763-4925 office
NWA ALPA, Doreen Clark, 952-567-0507 office