
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 16, 1991                   TAG: 9102160355
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Short

NORTHWEST FEASTS ON EASTERN LEFTOVERS

Northwest Airlines was the big winner Friday as a federal bankruptcy judge carved up the leftovers from an auction of gates and landing slots once operated by defunct Eastern Airlines.

Northwest got 67 slots and five gates at Washington National Airport for $35.5 million, giving it a foothold for further expansion on the East Coast.

During an auction of Eastern assets last week, United Airlines had put in the top bid of $35.5 million for the gates and slots at Washington National. But the Justice Department blocked that sale on antitrust grounds, given United's large presence at Washington's Dulles International Airport.

At Friday's hearing before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Burton R. Lifland, Northwest upped its earlier bid of $35.25 million to $35.5 million and got the slots and gates.

Northwest needs the spots at Washington National to feed a potential new hub at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. It is involved in talks with airport officials aimed at picking up what's left of Eastern in Atlanta, its old hub.

Eastern, which ran out of cash and quit flying on Jan. 18, still has a variety of assets up for sale in Atlanta.

by CNB