Mr. Allen will assume the top position at the nation's fourth-largest carrier on Aug. 1 in the midst of its most serious image problem.

Those underwhelming assessments were delivered before the second- and fourth-largest wireless carriers in the United States proposed to merge.

Northwest, the nation's fourth-largest carrier, certainly appears to be in a position to buy.

Northwest is the nation's fourth-largest carrier and has a major route network over the Pacific.

Alitalia, Europe's fourth-largest carrier, posted a loss of 280 billion lire for the first quarter.

Alitalia, Italy's national airline, is the fourth-largest carrier in Europe.

If the special contracts represented a separate company, it would be the fourth-largest carrier in the $52 billion long-distance market, he said.

Northwest has a huge operation on Pacific routes, and over all is the fourth-largest carrier in the United States.

Qwest Communications International, the fourth-largest carrier, earned $117 million, or 6 cents a quarter, in contrast to a $164 million loss a year earlier.

The third-quarter performance at Northwest, which is the country's fourth-largest carrier, was also a testament to the strong demand for airline seats.