I don't see NW being interested ...even if they are "friendly" with YX and clearly would be blood enemies with AirTran...250 million to buy out YX will not keep a flood of other LCC swarming into MKE once or before the sale is complete. If anything, NW might profit more in letting AirTran taking YX and trying to woo former YX fliers to come over to NW using a combination of mudslinging advertising against AirTran and promos to attract the business flyers.

If anything, I'm willing to be that a group of investors have come forward who want to take the airline private. Think how many political points Herb Kohl could win by offering to buy the airline, even if his offer price is less than AirTran's.

A group of Wisconsin and KC investors might make a bid for the airline - even at a lower price than AirTran, and try to get the board to sell the airline to them, or a group of investor might be trying to spark a bidding war to drive up AirTran's price.