21.   Cintra, the owner of Mexican airlines Aeromexico and Mexicana, will also likely delay its planned sale of the two airlines.

22.   Citing uncertainties about the situation, a Machinists spokesman declined to comment on how the work forces at the two airlines might merge.

23.   Congress has limited the total the two airlines can be forced to pay to the amount of their liability insurance.

24.   Delta chief Leo Mullin balked at the demand last week, forcing the two airlines to cancel an announcement.

25.   Discussions between the three airlines began earlier this year, according to two industry executives close to the talks who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

26.   Executives have said the two airlines will operate separately but coordinate flight times, the purchase of supplies and leasing of airplanes.

27.   George said the other airlines would continue to operate and that enough passengers would need his services for him and his one employee to ride out a strike.

28.   Growth and cost-reduction opportunities are the main reasons the two airlines gave for their decision to join forces.

29.   His time at the last three airlines earned him the reputation of a tough negotiator who gets the job done, no matter the cost.

30.   However, none of the other airlines was willing to go that far, and Delta quickly withdrew the surcharge.