November 15th, 2006

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Delta Airlines remains defiant

Delta Airlines
Remains defiant in hostile take over bids as corporate take over thoughts run a muck in the airline sector. Delta Airlines one of the last true legacy carriers restructuring with in bankruptcy guidelines boldly defends its emerging as a sole proprietor of itself on the pre-eve of emerging from bankruptcy. Delta has restructured itself as a strong and viable contender with in the cut throat airline market. Can this be a trend or a reversal of fate. Many people remember another well known American company going thru restructure recently by the name of Kmart which thwarted off bids of purchase as well. When emerging from bankruptcy with a new idea Kmart shocked the market by purchasing Sears, becoming one of the boldest payoff moves to date. With Delta the path may be the same, it all depends on the quick cash or the long run futures of a well developed plan. Below was taken off the Ap line

Analysts said United Airlines’ parent company may make its own move to acquire Delta, and takeover bids for Northwest Airlines, which like Delta is being reorganized in bankruptcy court, can’t be ruled out.

They also questioned whether US Airways could complete its plan to create the nation’s largest carrier, even after a planned 10 percent cut in capacity, on the compacted timeline it is seeking.

“My main question mark is if the politicians and regulators would allow it to happen, because if it did it would probably set off a trend for industry consolidation,” Ray Neidl, an airline analyst with Calyon Securities in New York, said of a Delta-US Airways combination.

It also could lead to higher ticket prices for passengers, industry experts said. “With a capacity reduction of 10 percent, fares are going nowhere but up,” said Robert W. Mann, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based airline consultant.

Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., who is set to become chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said he is concerned the combination would reduce competition and increase costs for travelers. “If the Justice Department on its own does not initiate an antitrust review, I would ask them to do that,” he said.

Delta said its goal remains to be a stand-alone company when it emerges from bankruptcy and that it had the backing of its creditors committee when it declined earlier discussions with US Airways. It has yet to file its own plan of reorganization, but has the exclusive right to do so until Feb. 15.

If the deal is completed, the combined airline would operate under the Delta name and serve more than 350 destinations across five continents. The combined company would divest certain assets, including one of the two hourly shuttle services that Delta and US Airways operate between Boston, New York and Washington. US Airways has not decided where the combined company would be based.

The US Airways offer comes as it and America West are still integrating their operations after their combination last year. To date, only 57 percent of America West planes have been painted over with US Airways’ logos, a spokesman said.

The deal also comes with a host of labor-related complications, according to aviation consultant Mann. “There will be a huge seniority integration problem that will result. It’s already problematic after the US Airways-America West merger. This will only increase it fourfold,” he said.

As it stands now, Delta’s existing common shares are likely to end up worthless when it exits bankruptcy. In most bankruptcy cases, debtholders end up with new shares of the company. That’s where the US Airways offer comes in: It is proposing to pay Delta’s unsecured creditors $4 billion in cash and 78.5 million shares of US Airways stock after Delta emerges from bankruptcy.

Shares of US Airways Group Inc. rose $8.57, or 16.83 percent, to $59.50 Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange. Delta Air Lines Inc. shares are traded over the counter.

Doug Parker, chief executive of Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways, said in an interview he believes Delta’s creditors ultimately will see that his offer is fair. “The (bankruptcy) process is designed so that the creditors get the highest possible value for their clients,” he said.

Parker said he would anticipate flying with 10 percent fewer planes, but “the plan is not predicated on any job cuts” for the 85,000 employees at the two companies.

The combination would create a company with about $28 billion in annual revenue, leapfrogging it past the current No. 1 U.S. carrier, AMR Corp.’s American Airlines. The projection is based on revenue figures through the first nine months of 2006. It’s unclear how any divestitures would affect a combined Delta-US Airways’ revenue.

Delta Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein said last month he had received “feelers” from UAL Corp.’s United Airlines about a possible merger 18 months ago, but quickly rejected them. And he said in a statement Wednesday that “Delta’s plan has always been to emerge from bankruptcy in the first half of 2007 as a strong, standalone carrier.”

In a memo later to employees, Grinstein was more firm, saying “while Delta is obligated to review this proposal carefully, we remain skeptical that it would make sense to deviate from our plan.”

Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based UAL sidestepped questions about its intentions but didn’t rule out a possible bid.

“We think consolidation is good for the industry,” said Jake Brace, chief financial officer, when asked about its plans at a Citigroup investment conference in New York. “If it makes sense for us to participate in it, we will.”

One analyst called United the perfect merger companion for Delta, with its trans-Pacific routes and international network matching up well with Delta’s strengths on Atlantic and Latin American routes. “If anyone takes over Delta, bet on United,” said CreditSights’ Roger King.

Morningstar analyst Brian Nelson also said he sees a United pursuit of Delta as a possibility, even though it would conflict with its stated strategy of paying down debt.

Bill Hochmuth, an analyst who tracks airlines at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, said Northwest Airlines Corp.could potentially be an acquirer, although probably as more of a merger of equals.

Other airlines either declined to comment or said they were reviewing US Airways’ offer.

US Airways, which was created after US Airways emerged from bankruptcy and was acquired by America West last year, said the deal is expected to generate $1.65 billion in annual savings from optimization of the airlines’ networks and combining facilities in overlap airports.

US Airways sent a letter touting the Delta buyout to its frequent flyers, claiming the deal would reduce fares and combine the two airlines’ frequent flyers programs, making it easier to redeem miles.

During a conference call, some analysts were skeptical of US Airways’ confidence it can get the deal done if Delta is hostile to the bid. They also questioned why US Airways is bidding for Delta, as opposed to another airline, like Northwest, which also is in bankruptcy.

Parker said Delta bid makes more sense because of the synergies that can be realized. He also said he is confident the deal can clear all the hurdles it needs to and “would prevail over any other bid if there were any.”

US Airways has hubs in Phoenix, Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C. Delta’s hubs are in Atlanta, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City.

The deal makes the most sense only if it is consummated through the bankruptcy process, rather than waiting until after emergence to reach agreement, Parker said. That’s because of further cost cuts that could be gained through the bankruptcy court.

As for employees, Parker said “we happen to have similar labor costs on both sides.” He did not discuss pilot pay.

US Airways has received a commitment from Citigroup Inc. to provide $7.2 billion in new financing for the deal. The funding would be used to refinance Delta’s debtor-in-possession credit facility, refinance US Airways’ existing senior secured facility with GE Capital, and provide funds for the $4 billion cash portion of the offer.

All other allowed secured debt and administrative claims would be assumed or paid in full. As of the end of May, Delta owed $7.49 billion to holders of secured claims, according to a court filing.

US Airways said the offer is a 25 percent premium over the current trading price of Delta’s pre-petition unsecured claims as of Tuesday, and a 40 percent premium over the average trading price for Delta unsecured claims over the last 30 days.

Associated Press Writer Daniel Yee in Atlanta and AP Business Writers Joshua Freed in Minneapolis, Dave Carpenter in Chicago, David Koenig in Dallas, Brad Foss in Washington and Vinnee Tong in New York contributed to this report.

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November 15th, 2006

Delta Airlines remains defiant

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