An agreement is needed to complete two pending deals that would transfer routes from troubled airlines to stronger carriers.

And they need the right to make alliances with financially strong foreign carriers eager to expand into the American market.

It's a risky initiative because they are entering a market with several strong alternative carriers.

No airline has ever entered bankruptcy and rejoined the ranks of the financially strongest carriers.

Thus the entry of a strong foreign carrier into a hub like St. Louis would serve as a check on fares.

Analog television, developed in the mid-20th century, contains strong carriers to aid reception and demodulation.

Then he added, "Delta's plan has always been to emerge from bankruptcy in the first half of 2007 as a strong stand-alone carrier."

There appeared to be little chance that a stronger carrier would come to the rescue.

New cost-cutting airlines will introduce lower fares, and the strong national carriers will match them.

Indeed, Wall Street saw the Continental bankruptcy as good news for the strongest carriers.