Northwest Airlines was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and headquartered in Minnesota. It merged with Delta Air Lines in 2008, with Northwest continuing to operate under its own name until 2010 when the airlines were fully integrated. Northwest was a dominant airline in trans-Pacific and transatlantic routes with hubs in Tokyo, Detroit, Memphis, Amsterdam, and Minneapolis. It operated regional flights under the Northwest Airlink brand before being fully absorbed into Delta.

1. Northwest Airlines
Benedict Gombocz

2. Background

Major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed
into Delta Air Lines Inc. via a merger.

The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta
the biggest airline in the world.

Northwest continued operating under its own name until
the incorporation of the airlines was finished on January
31, 2010.

3. Delta and Northwest tails

4. History

Was headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota near
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, its main hub.

Became a dominant airline in the trans-Pacific market after
World War II with a hub in Tokyo, Japan (originally
Haneda Airport, later Narita International Airport).

Also established major hubs at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne
County Airport and Memphis International Airport in 1986
after it bought Republic Airlines.

Began a strategic alliance with KLM and a jointlycoordinated European hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
in 1993.

Detroit and Minneapolis operations were kept as Delta
hubs, even though the Memphis operation has been
lessened from over 300 to less than 100 flights per day;
the non-stop service to Amsterdam has ceased.

5. KLM-Northwest alliance

6. McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 in
hybrid KLM/Northwest livery

7. History (continued)

Was the world’s sixth biggest airline with respect to
domestic and international schedule passenger miles
flown before it merged with Delta, and the sixth largest
U.S. airline with respect to domestic passenger miles
flown.

Apart from operating one of the biggest domestic route
networks in the United States, Northwest carried more
passengers across the Pacific Ocean (5.1 million in 2004)
than any other U.S. carrier; also carried more domestic air
cargo than any other American passenger airline.

8. Other Northwest cargo carriers

9. Regional flights

NWA’s regional flights were operated under the name
Northwest Airlink by Mesaba Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines,
and Compass Airlines.

NWA was a minority owner of Midwest Airlines; had a 40%
stake in that company.

Its company slogan was Now You’re Flying Smart.

Its frequent flyer program was WorldPerks.

10. Mesaba Airlines (operated under Northwest Jet
Airlink)

11. List of Northwest hubs

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International
Airport (1926-2010)

Haneda Airport (1947-1978)

Narita International Airport (19782010)

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
Airport (1986-2010)

Memphis International Airport (19862010)

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (19932010)

Anchorage International Airport (19912009)

12. Northwest A330, Tokyo Narita International Airport

13. Northwest McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30,
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

14. Northwest A320, Newark Liberty
International Airport

15. Northwest McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30,
Boston Logan International Airport

16. Northwest 757, Düsseldorf Airport

17. Codeshare Agreements

As of March 2009, Northwest Airlines
had codeshare agreements with:

Japan Airlines

Kenya Airways

Air France

KLM

Alaska Airlines

KLM Cityhopper

Alitalia

Korean Air

American Eagle (only California Routes)


China Airlines
Malév Hungarian Airlines (only
Amsterdam-Budapest)

China Southern Airlines

Midwest Airlines

Continental Airlines (suspended after
Continental left SkyTeam in favor of Star
Alliance)

Pinnacle Airlines

Czech Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Gulfstream International Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines (only Inter-Island
Routes)

Horizon Air

18. WorldClub locations

The following airports had Northwest Airlines
WorldClub locations:

Boston

Chicago O’Hare

Detroit (4)

Honolulu

London (Heathrow) – SkyTeam Lounge

Los Angeles

Manila

Milwaukee

Minneapolis-St. Paul

Newark

New York (LaGuardia)

Portland, OR

San Francisco

Seattle/Tacoma

Tokyo (Narita) (2)

Washington (Dulles)

Washington (Reagan)

19. Then and Now

20. The red tail’s legacy will never be forgotten

21. YouTube links
 Tributes:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvgXi9CqJy0
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wglzwGlCtAk
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvkGHuniXJY
 Northwest Airlines at Newark Airport:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCoxumbgDHU