Delta Air Lines asked a bankruptcy court judge to allow it to void a contract with its unionised pilots after talks with the group failed to secure $325 million in annual concessions the company says it needs, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The Atlanta-based carrier, the third-largest in the United States in terms of traffic, said it filed what is known as a Section 1113 motion with the US Bankruptcy Court in New York, which has been overseeing Delta's reorganisation.

In a memo to pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Delta said the filing of a Section 1113 motion does not preclude continuing negotiations and that it still hopes to reach an agreement.

Copyright Reuters, 2005