A bankruptcy judge Monday approved $41.4 million in expenses and fees for services provided by Delta Air Lines Inc. lawyers and advisers during the first 4 1/2 months of the company’s Chapter 11 case.

The compensation excludes another $2.04 million requested by other firms and $195,000 the judge has held back from the Atlanta-based airline’s auditor, Deloitte & Touche LLP, for work between Sept. 14, 2005 and Jan. 31, 2006.