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Northwest Airlines facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
NWAHeadquartersMinneapolisMN
Northwest Airlines headquarters
356au - Northwest Airlines DC-10-30, N241NW@AMS,28.05.2005 - Flickr - Aero Icarus
A Northwest DC-10 airplane.

Northwest Airlines (often called NWA) was a very important airline in the United States. It is now part of Delta Air Lines. Northwest Airlines had its main office in Eagan, Minnesota. This city is close to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.

Northwest Airlines flew many passengers and cargo around the world. In 2006, it was one of the biggest airlines. It was the sixth largest airline in the world for how many miles passengers flew. It also carried more cargo than any other American passenger airline.

Where Northwest Airlines Flew

Northwest Airlines had several main airports where many of its flights started or ended. These are called hubs.

Main Hubs in the United States

International Flights

Northwest Airlines also had a hub in Asia. This was at Narita International Airport near Tokyo, Japan. They also worked with their partner airline, KLM, to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. These flights often went through Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Other Important Cities

Besides its main hubs, Northwest Airlines also had special operations in other cities. These were called focus cities.

Flying with Northwest Airlines

Northwest Airlines had special regional flights. These flights were shorter and often connected to the main hubs. They were operated by other airlines like Mesaba Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines, and Compass Airlines. These regional flights were known as Northwest Airlink.

WorldPerks Program

Northwest Airlines had a program for frequent flyers called WorldPerks. This program let passengers earn points for flying. They could then use these points for free flights or other rewards.

Slogan

Northwest Airlines had a slogan that people remembered. It was "Now you're flying smart."

Becoming Part of Delta Air Lines

On April 14, 2008, Northwest Airlines announced big news. They said they would be joining with Delta Air Lines. This process is called a merger. It meant the two airlines would become one.

The merger was officially finished on January 31, 2010. After this date, Northwest Airlines stopped flying under its own name. All its flights became part of Delta Air Lines.

Financial Challenges

Before the merger, Northwest Airlines faced some financial difficulties. The airline operated under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This is a special legal process in the United States. It allowed the airline to keep flying and operating while it reorganized its business. It helped the airline fix its financial problems without stopping flights. Northwest Airlines successfully came out of this protection on May 31, 2007.

Images for kids

  • NW 1920s logo

    1920s roundel logo

  • Northwest Airlines Ticket

    Northwest Airlines passenger ticket from 1951

  • Waco JYM NC991H N.W.Airlines HARM 10.06.06R

    1929 Northwest Airways Waco JYM used on the Minneapolis-Chicago mail route

  • Hamilton H-47 N879H Oshkosh 27.07.10R edited-3

    Rebuilt 1929 Hamilton H-47 wearing Northwest Airways markings in 2010

  • Douglas DC-3 Northwest Airlines

    Northwest Douglas DC-3

  • Boeing 707-351B N377US NWAL SFO 19.09.70 edited-2

    Boeing 707-351B at San Francisco in 1970

  • Boeing 727-251 N256US NWAL MIA 07.02.71 edited-2

    Boeing 727-200 at Miami Airport in February 1971

  • Northwest Orient Boeing 747-100 at London Gatwick Airport in June 1983

    Boeing 747 at London Gatwick Airport in 1983, in pre-merger Northwest Orient livery

  • Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-100 at Osaka

    Boeing 747-100 at Osaka Itami Airport ca. 1990, in post-merger Northwest livery

  • N240NW (21071862742)

    Northwest was one of the last passenger airlines to fly the DC-10 when its last one was retired on January 8, 2007

  • Boeing 747-251B, Northwest Airlines AN1371024

    Northwest was also the last major US passenger airline to fly the original series Boeing 747 (pre-400 models)

  • Northwest Airlines-KLM DC-10 hybrid livery Spijkers

    This Northwest DC-10, Registration N237NW, was painted in a hybrid Northwest-KLM livery to advertise the alliance between the two airlines

  • Boeing 757-300 (Northwest Airlines) (292516996)

    757-351 in the "Bowling Shoe" livery, used from 1989 until 2003.

  • Northwest Airlines Cargo, Boeing 747

    Northwest Cargo Boeing 747

  • B753

    A Northwest Airlines 757-351

  • Northwest Airlines A330-323 (N805NW) landing at London Gatwick Airport

    A Northwest Airbus A330-323X landing at London Gatwick Airport

  • N362NW-2008-09-13-YVR

    A Northwest Airlines Airbus A320 landing at Vancouver International Airport

  • Nwaworldclub

    Northwest WorldClub Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 2

See also

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