Eric Smith, co-chair of the Firm’s Aviation Practice Group, was quoted in The Boston Globe article on February 20, 2008, “Delta, Northwest Merger on the Runway.”
The potential merger between Delta Air Lines with Northwest Airlines would result in the largest airline in the world and at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. Logan officials and airline experts predict that, although this merger would likely bring changes outside of Boston and in the airline industry as a whole, the combined airline wouldn’t reduce or add service at Boston’s airport. Competition at Logan is among the fiercest in the country and the combined airline would be unlikely to add service since the money-making routes from Boston have already been taken by other airlines. Additionally, the combined airline would be unlikely to cut routes since Delta had already yielded control of more than one-third of its terminal at Logan to the Massachusetts Port Authority in 2006 as part of its bankruptcy restructuring.
“Delta already adjusted its commitment to Boston, so what pain there might have been has already been accounted for,” said Eric.