Delta was the last of the traditional U.S. majors to publish a printed timetable. By April 2004, this once bastion of profitability and stability in the airline business was contemplating chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, following an unprecedented 13 quarters of losses. Delta is the #2 largest airline in the world in terms of passengers carried. It would emerge from bankruptcy in early 2007, announce a merger with Northwest in early 2008, only to be crippled by the Oil Shock of 2008. Once the merger is complete, Delta will be the world's largest airline by nearly every metric.