AIRLINES

Northwest, KLM Outline New Partnership: Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced some of the ways they’ll share services under a partnership that won federal approval on Jan. 11. Highlights include a common frequent-flier program and more flights on some routes. The Department of Transportation granted antitrust immunity to the carriers in approving a merger made possible by an “open skies” accord reached in September between the United States and the Netherlands. KLM owns 49% of Northwest, although it holds only 20% of the carrier’s voting stock. The Transportation Department will review the agreement in 1998. Northwest, the nation’s fourth-largest airline, has struggled financially amid fare wars and a sluggish economy. The carrier also is saddled with debt from a 1989 leveraged buyout.