It was business as usual for Northwest Airlines at Bismarck Municipal Airport on Saturday despite the company's mechanics going on strike as of Friday at 11 p.m.

Bismarck ticket agents reported departures and arrivals were on time and the strike was having virtually no impact. Northwest contracts for mechanic services for its planes here in Bismarck, so there would be no evidence of the strike here.

Bismarck has five departures a day during the weekends and six during the normal workweek. No changes were expected in the schedule.

Northwest spokeswoman Jennifer Bagdade claimed Saturday was a normal operations day, even though it was one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. "We're having good on-time performance," she added.

- Gordon Weixel