Trains, Planes & Autos

(Newser) - A tumbling US economy hit Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, and Toyota today as all four posted declining sales for last month, Bloomberg reports. Chrysler fell 14% as Ford dropped nearly 7% and GM suffered almost a 20% drop in light truck sales. "Primarily it's driven by the weak economy,'' one analyst said. "It's been difficult for people to refinance and get credit.'' More »

(Newser) - An airline merger isn't going to take off until Northwest comes up with a proposal that addresses Delta's concerns, according to Delta executives. So far, offers haven't jelled with Delta priorities, including maintaining employee seniority rankings, according to a Delta memo obtained by the Wall Street Journal . Delta plans to continue with its "stand-alone" plan until it sees a “potential transaction that meets all our principles,” the company’s CEO and CFO wrote. More »

(Newser) - The 2009 Nissan Murano snagged the best safety rating out of 10 midsize SUVs in industry-run crash tests, the Detroit Free Press reports. The Murano was the only one to receive the top "good" rating in front, side, and rear crashes. The Mazda CX-7 and CX-9, and the Mitsubishi Endeavour also fared well overall but missed out on the top ranking for not offering enough protection against whiplash. More »

(Newser) - Japan Airlines may abandon its plan to stock up on Boeing Dreamliners because of tie-ups in production of the new 787, Reuters reports. The carrier, a loyal Boeing customer, planned to buy 55 Dreamliners, but the delivery date has slipped again, to early 2009. Now JAL is checking out the Airbus A350 XWB, which would allow it to offset fuel costs by flying more midsize planes. More »

(Newser) - Northwest and Delta merger talks are stuck on the runway today, as  pilots continue talks on a deal to combine their workforces, AP reports. Representatives for the 12,000 pilots are hung up on issues of seniority, insiders said; directors of the airlines hoping to announce their $20-billion merger plans today are waiting for a breakthrough. The pilots unions have agreed on a joint contract, but seniority lists are crucial to determine rankings for benefits. More »

(Newser) - Directors at Delta and Northwest meeting tomorrow could announce a marriage of the two airlines by day’s end if a crucial deal with the airlines’ 11,000 unionized pilots can be reached, reports the Wall Street Journal. The resulting company would be the largest airline in the world, and would almost certainly face tough scrutiny from regulators. More »