Northwest Reports Loss of $1.1-Billion in Quarter

Northwest Airlines Corp. posted a $1.1-billion first-quarter loss, largely on costs associated with its bankruptcy reorganization.

The loss of $12.65 a share widened from a loss of $537 million, or $6.19, a year earlier, the Eagan, Minn.-based airline said. The results included $975 million of restructuring costs. Sales rose 3.3% to $2.89 billion.

Spending for fuel, the airline’s largest expense, rose 18% to $744 million, even though Northwest reduced consumption 13% by cutting capacity and retiring or replacing older planes. Northwest’s labor costs, its second-largest expense, fell 30% to $676 million and contributed to a 6.3% decline in total operating expenses.