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Components of Special Items (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2015 | Sep. 30, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2015
Operating: |  |  |  |
Labor agreement costs | $ 14 |  | $ 124 |
Severance and benefit costs | 13 | $ 28 | 27 | $ 103
Cleveland airport lease restructuring |  |  | 74 |
(Gains) losses on sale of assets and other special charges | 18 | 48 | 32 | 92
Special charges | 45 | 76 | 669 | 195
Nonoperating and income taxes: |  |  |  |
Losses on extinguishment of debt and other |  | 61 | (1) | 195
Income tax benefit related to special charges | (16) |  | (241) |
Total special charges, net of tax | 29 | 137 | 427 | 390
Income tax valuation allowance release (Note 4) |  | (3,218) |  | (3,218)
Total special items | $ 29 | $ (3,081) | 427 | $ (2,828)
Newark Liberty International Airport |  |  |  |
Operating: |  |  |  |
Impairment of intangible asset related to Newark Liberty International Airport ("Newark") slots |  |  | $ 412 |

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- Definition Difference between the fair value of payments made and the carrying amount of debt which is extinguished prior to maturity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 470 -SubTopic 50 -Section 40 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49170532&loc=d3e12317-112629 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 470 -SubTopic 50 -Section 40 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49170532&loc=d3e12355-112629 + Details
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