Vodafone quickly became Japan's third-largest mobile carrier, but after a strong start the unit made a series of errors that alienated the country's finicky consumers.

Orange, Britain's third-largest carrier, now has a stock market capitalization around $16 billion.

It has become the third-largest carrier in the New York area.

Japan Airlines, the world's third-largest carrier, said it expected to earn 8 billion yen ($69 million) in the fiscal year ending this month.

Officials at Delta Air Lines, the nation's third-largest carrier, said the new fees would not have any impact on its relationships with the rental-car companies.

This venture, which may later be taken public, will be the third-largest carrier of voice traffic in the world.

Cost-cutting at Delta, the third-largest domestic carrier, is also well under way.

That poses a direct threat to American and Delta, the nation's second- and third-largest carriers.

Delta, the nation's third-largest carrier, after United and American, has stayed out of these deals until now.

Delta Air Lines, the third-largest carrier after American and United, also reported a large quarterly loss yesterday.