P.M. BRIEFING : Pan Am Considers NWA Takeover

Pan Am Corp. announced today that it is considering making an offer for NWA Inc., the parent of Northwest Airlines, which is the target of several takeover suitors.

Pan Am Chairman Thomas Plaskett made the surprise announcement to shareholders at the financially troubled airline’s annual meeting in Washington.

He said Pan Am’s move is in response to NWA’s general request for such proposals. NWA already has received a $2.7-billion takeover offer from Los Angeles investor Marvin Davis, and the airline’s unions have said they are also interested in possibly buying the carrier.

A marriage of Pan Am and Northwest would create one of the most far-reaching airlines, with routes worldwide, and further consolidate the landscape of the deregulated U.S. airline industry.