A consultant firm has been hired by the Bismarck City Commission to help maintain the level of air service here due to the pending merger between Delta and Northwest.

The board agreed to pay Sixel Consulting Group Inc. up to $15,000 to be an advocate for Bismarck in the 12-month contract with the city in 2009.

Airport manager Greg Haug requested the contract because there are concerns that Delta may not service all communities that Northwest has.

The Sixel advocate would make regular contact with Delta in Atlanta.

Haug said it is anticipated the merger between the two airlines will happen. "The Justice Department has to approve it. They are expecting that is going to happen around the December or January time frame. We are just trying to get out ahead," he said later.

"We want to be prepared so we can start building a relationship with the new combined carrier, make sure they take a good look at the route structure we have here - the amount of flights, the amount of seats we have coming into our community as we combine those two carriers together," Haug said. "The goal really is to keep as much service as we have and to try and grow that service with the new combined carrier."

He said Northwest currently offers a number of flights to Minneapolis.

Haug was careful to explain that Sixel was not a lobbyist, but an advocate.

The contract with Sixel states the advocate will:

n Work directly with Delta executives to collect pre-merger transition and post closing information.

n Explain information directly to affected clients through one-on-one meetings, regional meetings, phone calls, e-mails, conference calls and a Web site.

n Work directly with communities and the Sixel Consulting Group to collect information about specific community concerns and deliver that information directly to Delta executives.

n Promote on behalf of Bismarck and other consortium communities to retain or expand existing services.

n Work to mitigate adverse changes Delta may impose on affected airports in replacing service in some markets.

n Work directly with state and federal representatives to answer questions and coordinate changes.

"This is a way for us to get our foot in the door with the decision makers of Delta, the company that is going to take over," Haug said. "I recommend we join on to this consortium."

Four other upper Midwest communities have signed on to participate in the consortium receiving the advocacy service.

Commissioner Mike Seminary asked what the advocate would do for the city.

"We don't have any relationship with Delta Airlines right now," Haug said. "We're expecting they will help us establish that relationship."

He said there will be some combing of forces with the two carriers, but he also believed some communities will be left behind in their air service.

"In taking this step now, we're trying to keep from forgetting about us. … We want to be the one to take the first step in building that relationship with what we're expecting to be with that new combined carrier," Haug said.