Industry roundup: Mesa in Ch. 11; Delta, Northwest are one; JAL may yet live

In a continuing effort to help you recover from limited posting of airline news over the holidays, here is one new industry development, a Chapter 11 filing for Mesa Airlines, and one from the last day of 2009, federal approval for Delta and Northwest to operate as one airline, with plans to use only the Delta name by the end of the first quarter.

Also continuing is the saga of Japan Airlines, in desperate financial shape, which got a boost when workers agreed to take much-reduced pensions.