Wednesday July 16th, 2025 2:43AM

NWA, Delta warn that pensions in doubt unless Congress acts

By The Associated Press
<p>The chief executives of Northwest Airlines Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc. urged Congress Wednesday to pass long-stalled pension legislation, warning that they could be forced to terminate their pension plans without action on the bill.</p><p>"A further delay is a functional equivalent of no," said Douglas Steenland, president and CEO of Northwest, at a Capitol Hill news conference.</p><p>"We are at a tipping point," added Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein.</p><p>The House and Senate passed separate pension bills at the end of last year, but negotiators have not yet been to reconcile them. A key sticking point is whether to single out financially struggling airlines for special treatment.</p><p>The Senate wants to give them up to 20 years to get back to full funding of their pension plans. House negotiators don't.</p><p>Steenland and Grinstein want the Senate language. Senators from their respective states, Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman and Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson, joined the airline executives in a push to pass the bill passed before the August recess.</p><p>Atlanta-based Delta and Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest are operating under bankruptcy protection.</p>
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