NEW YORK, Sept 25, 2008 (AFP) - Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines shareholders on Thursday voted overwhelmingly for a merger of the companies to create one of the world's biggest global carriers.

Northwest said in a statement that more than 98 percent of the shares voted supported adopting the merger agreement.

'This is a resounding vote of confidence by shareholders for our merger with Delta Air Lines and a great day for our employees, who will receive equity in the combined company and more stable, long-term employment opportunities,' said Doug Steenland, Northwest Airlines president and chief executive.

'The two billion dollars in annual synergies achievable through this merger are something neither carrier could have achieved as a stand-alone carrier,' e said.

Delta said later that about 99 percent of its shareholders approved the deal announced in April.

The merger still needs antitrust clearance from the US Justice Department.

The merger of Delta, the nation's third-largest airline, with number-five Northwest, would create a new mammoth airline that keeps the Delta name and, like its namesake, will be headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

The planned merger comes amid consolidation in the aviation sector as airlines struggle to survive amid spiking fuel prices, which have more than doubled in a year.

The new Delta would be the world's leading passenger carrier, with an estimated 285.5 billion revenue passenger miles, a measure of the number of passengers and the distance flown, according to 2007 data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

American Airlines was the largest last year, at 222.7 billion revenue passenger miles.

The combined airline would serve 390 destinations in 67 countries, with annual revenue of 35 billion dollars. It would have nearly 800 planes and a global workforce of 75,000.

The new Delta would remain a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, which includes AirFrance-KLM, China Southern Airlines and Korean Air. Delta and Northwest currently are members of the 11-airline alliance.

Delta and Northwest estimated the combined airline would reap 500 million dollars in cost savings in its first year.

Both airlines are in the throes of restructuring amid a credit crunch and painfully high jet fuel costs that have thrown US airlines into a tailspin.

'The situation remains bleak. The toxic combination of high oil prices and falling demand continues to poison the industry?s profitability,' IATA's director general and CEO said in early September.

Northwest announced in July it would eliminate 2,500 jobs and begin charging new fees, a month afer it said it would slash between 8.5 percent and 9.5 percent of its domestic flight capacity.

Delta, which was in the vanguard of airlines imposing new fees, notably surcharges for checked baggage, said in July it was taking the steps to offset a 70-80 percent rise in fuel costs in the past year.

The proposed tie-up earlier overcame a major hurdle raised by Northwest's pilots, who initially fought the merger.

But the deal still faces opposition from the International Association of Machinists union, which represents 12,500 Northwest workers.

'The Machinists Union believes Northwest and Delta will be unable to successfully combine their businesses without adversely impacting customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders because of the two airlines' vastly different corporate cultures and mismatched aircraft fleets,' Robert Roach, IAM general vice president, said in a statement after the Northwest shareholder vote.