The U.S. Department of Justice approved the merger between Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines Wednesday afternoon.
Antitrust Approval from the Justice Department is one of the last hurdles for the companies to clear before becoming the nation’s largest air carrier.
After a six-month study by federal investigators, the government concluded that the proposed merger would not jeopardize industry competition.
The findings also supported the airlines’ claims that the deal would streamline operations, cut costs, and ultimately benefit consumers.
Delta is based in Atlanta and currently the nation’s third-largest carrier with 73 million customers per year.
Eagan-based Northwest is the fifth-largest carrier and has 53 million customers annually.
When completed, operations will continue out of the Delta headquarters in Atlanta under the Delta name.
