• Home
• About Amy
• Serving Minnesotans
• About Minnesota
• Issues/ Legislation
• Media Center
• Contact Amy
• FAQ

News Releases

Klobuchar Secures Senate Commerce Committee Hearing to Examine Delta, Northwest Merger

April 23, 2008

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced today that the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security will conduct a hearing on Wednesday, May 7, to examine the effects that the merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines could have on consumers, workers, and the economy. The hearing will be held at 2:30 p.m.

“In the interest of consumers, Congress must exercise its oversight of the proposed merger,” said Klobuchar.  “I want specific answers from the airlines, not just general assurances.  My focus will be on the needs of consumers, business and employees.

Klobuchar said federal regulators, in reviewing the merger for competition issues, must hold the airlines accountable for the effects of a combined “mega-airline” on the economies of Minnesota and the nation. She said the May 7 hearing will establish a record of concerns and assurances that the Department of Justice must consider in its review.

Klobuchar serves on the Commerce Committee, which has oversight authority over the airline industry.  Delta CEO Richard Anderson, Northwest CEO Doug Steenland and other industry experts are being asked to testify before Klobuchar, who was one of the first to call for Commerce Committee hearings to examine the merger.

The proposed merger will also be the subject of a hearing April 24 before the Antitrust Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
 
In January, Klobuchar wrote to both CEOs expressing her concerns about a possible merger.  In response, the CEOs promised they would take into consideration Minnesota’s employment concerns.  They wrote that benefits of any merger “would be achieved through service improvements and greater efficiency, not by fare increases, schedule reductions or layoffs.”
 
“The airlines should live up to their commitments and consider the best interest of Main Street and not just Wall Street,” said Klobuchar.
 
At the hearing Klobuchar will continue to demand answers to specific questions, including:
 
•    Will the combined airline preserve jobs for Minnesotans?
•    Will it maintain the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) as a vital and integral hub in the new airline’s route system?
•    Will the combined airline reduce, increase or eliminate flights to Minnesota communities?
•    Will it retain the Chisholm and Twin Cities reservation centers, as well as the Eagan training facility?
•    Will consumer choice be protected so the proposed merger does not result in diminished service and higher fares?
•    What assurances are there that the merger will preserve and enhance long-term airline competition? 
 
###