The European Commission has given its approval for US carrier Delta Air Lines’ plan to buy rival US carrier Northwest Airlines Corp for more than US$3 billion, saying that for transatlantic cargo transport the deal would have only a limited impact because of the two companies’ limited presence in this market. "After examining the operation, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it," the EU said in a statement.