Oct. 31--Northwest Airlines merged with Delta Air Lines to create the world's largest airline, but it's unclear what that means for Aberdeen.

The combined airline will operate under the Delta name and provide service to more than 170 million customers in 66 countries and more than 375 cities worldwide.

For now it's business as usual for Northwest customers, according to a press release from Delta Air Lines. Although the two companies merged, they will continue to operate separately until a fully integrated flight schedule is launched in 12 to 24 months. That means customers currently booked through Northwest Airlines should direct all questions to and check in through Northwest Airlines. Customers who booked with Delta Air Lines should continue to direct questions to and check in through Delta.

The first noticeable change will happen next spring, when Delta uniforms are introduced on Northwest flights, according to the release.

Aberdeen Regional Airport Manager Dave Osborn said it's still unclear what the merger means to Aberdeen. Mesaba Airlines, which is owned and operated by Northwest Airlines, normally makes four round-trip flights between Aberdeen and Minneapolis each day.

"We've not heard from either airline," he said. "During the merger process, they'll be looking at us and determine what they'll do."

Earlier this month, Osborn said the merger could mean regional jets for Aberdeen. That's because the smallest plane in Delta's fleet is the Canadair Regional Jet 200, a 50-passenger regional jet with a 69-foot wing span, according to www.delta.com.

It's unclear whether Northwest Airlines' smaller planes, including the 33-seat Saab-340 airplanes flown to and from Aberdeen, will be integrated into the Delta Air Lines fleet as part of the merger.

The one-time cost of $600 million to integrate the two airlines will be offset by the expected $2 billion in annual revenue, according to the news release.

Osborn said he can't form an opinion on the merger until he knows all the details.

"We're such a small little teardrop, we're not even being considered yet," he said.

Northwest's Eagan, Minn., headquarters will remain in operation while Northwest is a free-standing subsidiary of Delta, according to the release.

Delta previously disclosed that the system operations control center in the Twin Cities, which houses flight dispatchers and other highly skilled employees, will close within the next two years and workers will be relocated to Atlanta.