CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines , the world's largest airline, reported a quarterly loss on merger costs and fuel hedge losses.
The airline, which bought Northwest Airlines late last year, said on Tuesday that its fourth-quarter net loss widened to $1.4 billion, or $2.11 per share, from $70 million, or 18 cents per share, a year earlier, before the merger.
Special items included a more than $900 million charge related to broad-based employee equity awards, and a $91 million loss on out-of-period fuel hedges.
Excluding one-time items, the company said it had lost $340 million, or 50 cents per share.
Delta merged with Northwest to generate more efficient operations and savings to help offset its fuel bill. The industry was battered in 2008 by high energy costs and later by economic weakness that drained travel demand.
(Reporting by Kyle Peterson; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
