FARGO (AP) - North Dakota officials have spoken with Northwest Airlines executives as they consider a merger with Delta Airlines, Gov. John Hoeven says.

"Northwest contends that it will be a benefit, and what I'm saying is, 'I'm reserving judgment until we see the plan,'" Hoeven said Tuesday.

Hoeven said North Dakota officials have stressed the need to continue and possibly expand service in the state. Northwest now serves Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks and Minot.

North Dakota will continue to be important for Northwest or a merged airline, Hoeven said. "But at this point, we haven't gotten any specifics in terms of routes or incentives or those kind of things," he said.

New figures from the state Aeronautics Commission show the number of commercial airline boardings in the state last month totaled 53,720, a drop of 183, or 0.34 percent compared with 2007. Commission Director Gary Ness said the slight decline is not surprising, considering stable airline capacity nationwide and higher fares due to escalating jet fuel prices.