capital lease obligations.

Cash used in financing activities in 2007 primarily reflects (1) the repayment of the DIP Facility with a portion of the proceeds available under the Exit Facilities and existing cash, (2) the prepayment of $863 million of secured debt with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of enhanced equipment trust certificates and (3) scheduled principal payments on long-term debt and capital lease obligations. During 2007, we also received $181 million in proceeds from an amendment to certain financing arrangements in which the outstanding principal amount was increased to $415 million and the interest rate we pay under this facility was reduced.

 Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2008 that relate to debt, operating leases, aircraft order commitments, capital leases, contract carrier obligations, other material, noncancelable purchase obligations and other commitments. The table does not include commitments that are contingent on events or other factors that are uncertain or unknown at this time, some of which are discussed in footnotes to this table and in the text immediately following the footnotes.



The following items are not included in the table above:

Pension Plans. We sponsor qualified defined contribution (“DC Plans”) and defined benefit pension plans (“DB Plans”) for eligible employees and retirees. Our funding obligations for these plans are governed by ERISA. Estimates of pension plan funding requirements can vary materially from actual funding requirements because the estimates are based on various assumptions, including those described below.

DC Plans. During 2008, we contributed approximately $215 million to our DC Plans or directly to employees that otherwise would have been contributed to the DC Plans on their behalf, but for limits imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. In 2009, we expect to contribute approximately $300 million related to our DC Plans.

DB Plans. During 2008, we contributed approximately $115 million to our DB Plans, which include a defined benefit pension plan for eligible non-pilot Delta employees and retirees (the “Delta Non-Pilot Plan”) and defined benefit pension plans for eligible Northwest employees and retirees (the “Northwest Pension Plans”). These plans have been frozen for future benefit accruals.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows commercial airlines to elect alternative funding rules (“Alternative Funding Rules”) for defined benefit plans that are frozen. Under the Alternative Funding Rules, the unfunded liability for a frozen defined benefit plan may be funded over a fixed 17-year period and is calculated using an 8.85% interest rate. Delta elected the Alternative Funding Rules for the Delta Non-Pilot Plan, effective April 1, 2007; and Northwest elected the Alternative Funding Rules for the Northwest Pension Plans, effective October 1, 2006.

The Alternative Funding Rules allow us to reduce the funding obligations for the Delta Non-Pilot Plan and the Northwest Pension Plans over the next several years compared to what our funding obligations would be under rules applicable to other DB