US airlines head for bankruptcy

AFTER years of losses and soaring fuel costs driven even higher by Hurricane Katrina, two of America’s biggest airline carriers, Delta and Northwest, looked to be headed to bankruptcy court last night.

Shares of Delta Air Lines Inc fell yesterday amid expectations it could file for bankruptcy after the market closed. Northwest Airlines Corp shares, meanwhile, rose as the carrier’s board was set to meet to decide on a Chapter 11 filing.

An industry consultant said Delta planned a bankruptcy filing late last night. The board of directors would have to approve such an action.