Delta Air Lines is adding up to 500 jobs in Atlanta as a result of its merger with Northwest Airlines.

The jobs will consist of employees moving from Northwest’s Minnesota headquarters, as well as new hires. Delta will expand its operations control center in Atlanta, with flight dispatchers and other staffers coming from Minneapolis.

The airline has 25,000 employees in Atlanta.

The carrier is granting voluntary buyouts to the more than 2,100 employees requesting them.

Delta Air Lines is based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Delta operates an expansive domestic and international network, spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Delta has plans to initiate service to Sydney, Australia in July 2009, which will make it the only current American carrier to serve every continent, excluding Antarctica.