	court blocks delta western airlines merger a u s appeals court last night blocked the mln dlr merger of delta airlines inc dal n and western airlines just hours before it was to go into effect because of a dispute over union representation the ruling came in a lawsuit in which the air transport employees union said western s management should fulfil a promise to honour union contracts if a merger took place the airlines argued that western s promise could not be enforced in a takeover by a larger company airlines officials could not be reached for comment on the ruling which halts the merger until arbitration on the dispute is completed reuter 
