Delta may file Ch. 11 this week: WSJ
Delta may file Ch. 11 this week: WSJ — Delta Air Lines is expected to file for bankruptcy-court protection as early as this week and is nearing agreement on $1.7 billion in financing to keep the carrier flying while it seeks to restructure, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. (Reuters)
Talks fail; Northwest says it will replace workers — Northwest Airlines will begin permanently replacing all its 4,430 striking mechanics and aircraft cleaners on Tuesday as last-minute negotiations to reach a settlement fell apart over the weekend. (Detroit News)
Hurricane Ophelia taunts coastal Carolinas — Hurricane Ophelia sat nearly stationary off the coast of the Carolinas on Sunday, taunting coastal residents made wary by the destruction that Katrina caused along the Gulf Coast. (AP)
U.S. marks 9/11 anniversary with march, silence — Four years after the September 11 attacks, the United States briefly shifted focus on Sunday from its latest disaster — Hurricane Katrina — to memorials for victims of the hijacked-plane strikes in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. (Reuters)
Survey: Record gas prices to retreat — Retail gas prices broke their all-time high, surging more than 38 cents in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to an average of $3.01 per gallon, but are likely to back down a bit in the next few days, a national survey said Sunday. (CNN)
Ford may sell Hertz to buyout group for $15b — Ford Motor Co. may sell Hertz Corp., the largest U.S. car-rental company, to buyout investors including Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Inc. and Carlyle Group for about $15 billion to raise cash for its unprofitable North American auto business, people familiar with the matter said. (Bloomberg)
Researchers look for link between weather and tourism — Researchers are working to pinpoint just how a cold or rainy summer day can result in lost dollars for the Michigan’s tourism and agriculture industries. (AP)
Travel rewards for donations — Victims of last year’s Florida hurricanes have come up with an innovative way to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina — and help jump-start their own recovery. A variety of Florida vacations is being auctioned on eBay, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, earmarked for victims of Hurricane Katrina. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Disney launches new Hong Kong theme park — Disney has opened a new $1.8bn (£1bn) theme park in Hong Kong, the firm’s biggest foray into the Chinese market. Hong Kong Disneyland, based on Lantau Island, is expected to attract more than five-and-a-half million visitors in its first year. (BBC News)
Consultants endorse convention hotel plan — The seven-year saga of efforts to build a massive hotel next to the Washington Convention Center inched along last week, as consultants concluded that a 1,220-room hotel is technically and financially feasible on a site at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue NW and Ninth Street. (Washington Post)
Florida tops in cruise biz — Florida is the captain of the cruise ship industry in the United States, a newly released research report says. In 2004, five Florida ports (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Canaveral, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville) hosted 58.3 percent of all North American cruises, which is a $30 billion industry with 8.1 million customers annually. (Orlando Business Journal)
Car rental firms getting vehicles to storm hit areas — Car rental companies are trucking in thousands of vehicles to meet surging demand in the storm-damaged Gulf Coast region. Government and relief agencies, insurance companies, reconstruction businesses and individuals are feeding that demand. (USA Today)
New Orleans airport reopens to cargo traffic — The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reopened for cargo traffic Sunday, and limited passenger service was to resume Tuesday. Business owners could also apply to re-enter the city’s main commercial district. (AP)
Major power outage hits LA — A major power outage hit Los Angeles area on Monday, knocking out electricity to thousands of customers as officials scrambled to determine the cause and police declared a state of emergency. “The city is on a tactical alert and obviously traffic is going to be impacted,” Los Angeles Police spokesman Kevin Maiberger said. (Reuters)
Ford to sell Hertz for $5.6b — Ford Motor Co. said on Monday it has agreed to sell its auto rental subsidiary, Hertz Corp., to a group of private equity firms for $5.6 billion. (Reuters)
John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.