Pilot Reservations Slow Airline Alliance

A proposed alliance between Northwest Airlines and Continental Airlines was not completed this week because Northwest pilots sought more time to study the plan, industry sources said Tuesday.

Northwest and Continental had been talking for about two months when the deal was brought to leaders of the Air Line Pilots Association on Dec. 9. Union leaders were given until Monday to decide whether they would relax a contract clause to allow Northwest to put its flight code on Continental flights.

Two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that the pilots, who own 11.5 percent of Northwest and are in contract talks, felt they needed more time.

The pilots consider the deal still alive but Northwest says the deadline passed without an agreement and believes new talks would have to be initiated, the sources said.