Delta, Northwest merger pact said to be imminent

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and Northwest Airlines NWA.N aim to finalize a merger agreement within days to create the world's largest airline, a source familiar with the situation said on Sunday.

The airlines aim to push ahead with an agreement even if they have not yet received the support of Delta's 6,000 pilots, the source said.

The airlines, which have seen deal talks collapse before, still must finalize significant details on the timing and terms of the agreement, the source said.

The Financial Times said a deal could be announced as early as Monday, while The Wall Street Journal said the agreement could be unveiled on Tuesday.

Delta and Northwest declined to comment.

The talks between the companies previously fizzled out in March when the pilots' unions on both sides failed to agree on how seniority would apply for their roughly 12,000 members in a combined carrier.

Seniority is critical for pilots because it helps determine pay, work schedules and the size of aircraft they fly.

Earlier this year, pilots at Northwest had said they would support a merger with another carrier if the workers received a stake in the combined airline.

Delta's pilot union helped derail a hostile takeover bid by US Airways Group Inc last year by rallying opposition from the company's bankruptcy creditors committee and employees.