Passengers who fly Delta out of the Twins Cities pay almost $60 more one-way than if they fly out of airports where Delta has more competition.

Earlier this summer, Delta Air Lines announced plans to shut down its shrunken, 35-year-old regional carrier Comair by Sept. 29. Minnesota passengers won't notice the change much.

Delta Airlines is analyzing a possible merger with American Airlines' parent company. The Wall Street Journal reports Delta has hired a firm to look into the financial and regulatory issues of joining the two companies. American filed for bankruptcy in November.

The Atlanta-based airline says the Twin Cities is a key part of its operations. Delta's senior vice president of Minnesota operations told the Star Tribune the airline is investing more than $3 million in new equipment at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Delta already employs 12,000 people in Minnesota and plans to add 400 positions in June.

Delta plans to pay off what's left on a Metropolitan Airports Commission loan it inherited from Northwest Airlines. Once the loan is repaid, Delta will no longer be bound by a commitment to keep at least 10,000 jobs in Minnesota. The airline currently has 12,000 employees here.

There were no passengers on board. Mechanics were testing the engines on the Boeing airliner when they reportedly experienced a problem with the brakes. The jet sustained "significant damage" when it rolled off a taxiway and down an embankment.

A mechanical problem forced the pilot of a 95-passenger Delta Air Lines plane on its way from Minneapolis to Detroit to shut down an engine and land in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Monday afternoon, MLive reports. There were no reports of injury.

The airline has waived its customary fee for rescheduling travelers who had planned to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday. Passengers can re-book for free, as long as they fly by Monday.