NWA Inc., the parent of Northwest Airlines...

NWA Inc., the parent of Northwest Airlines and its planned acquisition, Republic Airlines, reported a 32% and a 70% drop, respectively, in second-quarter earnings, compared to a year earlier. NWA President and Chief Executive Steven G. Rothmeier said the earnings decline resulted from fare discounting. He also said a June, 1985, strike at United Airlines, which forced passengers of the No. 1 carrier to fly competing airlines, temporarily inflated NWA’s business last year. Republic Airlines spokesman Walter Hellman said the 1985 second-quarter earnings were also vastly inflated by the use of tax credits totaling $80 million.