~ Governor Pawlenty statement regarding the announced merger of Delta and Northwest ~

Saint Paul – The following is a statement from Governor Tim Pawlenty regarding the announced merger of Delta and Northwest.

“We will be closely scrutinizing the impact of the merger and will strongly stand up for Minnesota’s interests during the review process. Our goal will be to maintain hub operations, related levels of flight service, and the maximum number of airline jobs in Minnesota.

“Our highly skilled workforce, efficient airport, and Minnesota’s central location are all positive assets that we believe the merged entity will find attractive for keeping operations and jobs in our state.

“In 2007, we negotiated agreements with Northwest to keep hub operations and a headquarters presence in Minnesota. We will examine how the merged entity will fulfill those commitments.”