Back to top

Northwest Airlines

  • Cite
  • Share
  • Correct
  • Print
Color image of a Northwest Orient Airlines menu, c.1970.

Northwest Orient Airlines menu, c.1970.

A few months before aviator Charles Lindbergh made his record-breaking transatlantic flight, Northwest Airways, Inc. began carrying airmail between the Twin Cities and Chicago. As Northwest Airlines, Inc., the company became a major international carrier before financial troubles forced its merger with Delta Air Lines, Inc. in 2008.

Minnesota entrepreneur Colonel Lewis Hotchkiss Brittin incorporated Northwest Airways, Inc. in Michigan on September 1, 1926. He based his operations south of Minneapolis at Speedway Field with nine employees. The company's airmail contract required that delivery start on October 1. Brittin rented two open-cockpit biplanes to make the twice-daily, eight-hundred-mile round-trip flight to Chicago. By November, the company owned three Stinson Detroiter closed-cabin planes.

Northwest Airways began passenger service to Chicago on July 5, 1927. Stunt pilot Charles "Speed" Holman carried two passengers on the inaugural flight. Engine failure forced an emergency landing near Hastings, Minnesota, but a second attempt made it safely to Chicago at 2:30 a.m. on July 6. The airline carried 106 passengers in the first year, charging thirty dollars one way and fifty dollars round trip. The airline made its first international flight to Winnipeg in 1928 but discontinued the route after three months due to objections from the Canadian government.

Minnesota investors purchased Northwest Airways in 1929. Its operations moved to St. Paul's downtown airfield the next year, and routes expanded to the Dakotas, Montana, and Washington State. The company incorporated under Minnesota law on April 16, 1934 as Northwest Airlines, Inc. and introduced service to the east coast.

During World War II, the company operated a bomber modification center at St. Paul's Holman Field and flew military cargo missions to Canada, Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands. In 1947, Northwest flew the Great Circle Route over the Pacific Ocean to Japan, China, Korea, and the Philippines. It adopted the name "Northwest Orient" for advertising purposes. The airline's Asian connections proved useful in 1950 when the U.S. government chose the airline for the Korean Air Lift mission.

Northwest Airlines moved operations into new headquarters at Wold-Chamberlain Field (formerly Speedway, later Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport) in 1961. It introduced flights to California. In the 1970s, passengers could fly nonstop from Chicago to Hawaii and take advantage of computerized ticketing for flights to Asia.

The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 ended government control of airlines. Northwest continued to thrive in the more competitive market. In the following year, it added more than twenty domestic markets and began transatlantic service to Sweden and Denmark.

NWA, Inc., a Delaware corporation, became the holding company for Northwest Airlines in 1984. The company's investments eventually included Mainline Travel, Inc. of Minnetonka, a Northwest Airlink agreement with Mesaba Airlines, and Republic Airlines. In June 1989, Wings Holdings (later Northwest Airlines Corporation) acquired NWA Inc. at a cost of approximately $3.5 billion.

Struggling with debt from the buyout, Northwest sought financial aid from the Minnesota legislature in 1991. Even with the help of $761 million in public funds, the airline teetered on the brink of bankruptcy in 1993. Relief came when pilots and other employees agreed to $980 million in wage and benefits concessions.

The airline's profits rose dramatically in the mid-1990s. It added flights to six Canadian cities, improved its "WorldPerks" frequent flier program, and expanded electronic ticketing service. Its fleet grew to more than four hundred planes. A partnership with KLM, a Dutch airline, provided financial stability by increasing the joint airlines' global market share.

Northwest experienced the first of several setbacks in 1998 when a pilots' strike halted service for nearly three weeks. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks caused the company to reduce its flight schedule by an estimated twenty percent, lay off ten thousand workers, and heighten security. Northwest reduced its fares and offered special business perks to attract customers. In 2003 the company cut flights again due to unrest in Iraq. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina destroyed oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, causing the price of fuel to rise. Northwest responded by cutting wages and selling off aircraft.

These measures failed to save the faltering airline. In 2005, Northwest filed for bankruptcy. It emerged from reorganization in 2007. Executives announced a merger with Delta Air Lines, Inc. the following year. Northwest officially became Delta on January 1, 2010.

  • Cite
  • Share
  • Correct
  • Print
© Minnesota Historical Society
  • Bibliography
  • Related Resources

Delta Air Lines, Inc. "Delta and Northwest Merge, Creating Premier Airline.” October 29, 2008.
http://news.delta.com/delta-and-northwest-merge-creating-premier-global-airline

Delta Flight Museum. History.
https://www.deltamuseum.org/exhibits/delta-history/family-tree/northwest-airlines

El-Hai, Jack. Non-Stop: A Turbulent History of Northwest Airlines. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2013.

Minnesota Aviation Collection, 1891–1988
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00576.xml
Description: Materials collected by the Air Museum of Minnesota, an organization of aviation historians and enthusiasts dedicated to the collection and preservation of materials documenting the history of aviation in the state.

Moylan, Martin. "Northwest Airlines—A Look Back At Its Long History." MPR News, October 30, 2008.
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2008/01/09/nwa_history

Northwest Airlines Corporate Records, 1917–1998
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00110.xml
Description: Financial records, photographs, and subject files of Northwest Airlines, a commercial airline with global operations stretching from the Far East to Western Europe.

OH 115
Oral History Interview with Donald W. Nyrup, December 23, 2006, April 27, 2007, and May 3, 2007
Minnesota's Greatest Generation Oral History Project: Part II
Oral History Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display.php?irn=10803182
Description: Nyrup discusses his childhood, service in World War II, and career with the Civil Aeronautics Board and as the president of Northwest Airlines.

OH 115
Oral History Interview with Norman Midthun, December 20, 2006
Minnesota's Greatest Generation Oral History Project: Part II
Oral History Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display.php?irn=10803180
Description: Midthun discusses his childhood, service in World War II, and career path with Northwest Airlines.

Related Images

Color image of a Northwest Orient Airlines menu, c.1970.
Color image of a Northwest Orient Airlines menu, c.1970.
Black and white photograph of a Northwest Airlines monoplane, 1930. Photographed by Leo J. Kohn.
Black and white photograph of a Northwest Airlines monoplane, 1930. Photographed by Leo J. Kohn.
Black and white photograph of Santa Claus arriving via Northwest Airlines for a stay at L.S. Donaldson Company during the Christmas season, 1930.
Black and white photograph of Santa Claus arriving via Northwest Airlines for a stay at L.S. Donaldson Company during the Christmas season, 1930.
Black and white photograph of Northwest Airlines Operations, Holman Field, St. Paul, 1934.
Black and white photograph of Northwest Airlines Operations, Holman Field, St. Paul, 1934.
Black and white photograph of Northwest Airlines and McInnis Aviation Service hangars, Wold-Chamberlain Field, undated.
Black and white photograph of Northwest Airlines and McInnis Aviation Service hangars, Wold-Chamberlain Field, undated.
Black and white photograph of an air mail being loaded onto a Northwest Airlines plane, c.1940.
Black and white photograph of an air mail being loaded onto a Northwest Airlines plane, c.1940.
Black and white photograph of passengers with oxygen masks on Northwest Airlines plane, c.1940.
Black and white photograph of passengers with oxygen masks on Northwest Airlines plane, c.1940.
Black and white photograph of passengers boarding a Northwest Airlines plane, c.1946. Photographed by Philip C. Dittes.
Black and white photograph of passengers boarding a Northwest Airlines plane, c.1946. Photographed by Philip C. Dittes.
Black and white photograph of the inauguration ceremonies for Northwest Airlines' first flight over the "Great Circle" to the Orient, 1947.
Black and white photograph of the inauguration ceremonies for Northwest Airlines' first flight over the "Great Circle" to the Orient, 1947.
Black and white photograph of a Northwest Airlines stewardess, March 3, 1949. Photographed by Philip C. Dittes.
Black and white photograph of a Northwest Airlines stewardess, March 3, 1949. Photographed by Philip C. Dittes.
Black and white photograph of a Northwest Airlines city ticket office, 100 Sixth Street South, Minneapolis, c.1950.
Black and white photograph of a Northwest Airlines city ticket office, 100 Sixth Street South, Minneapolis, c.1950.
Black and white photograph of Northwest Airlines Stratocruiser, c.1955. Photographed by Don Berg Photography.
Black and white photograph of Northwest Airlines Stratocruiser, c.1955. Photographed by Don Berg Photography.
Black and white photograph of Northwest Orient Airlines hangar and offices at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, c.1960. Photographed by Marty Nordstrom Photography.
Black and white photograph of Northwest Orient Airlines hangar and offices at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, c.1960. Photographed by Marty Nordstrom Photography.
Color image of the cabin of a Northwest Airlines Boeing 727 plane, March 11, 1969.
Color image of the cabin of a Northwest Airlines Boeing 727 plane, March 11, 1969.
Black and white photograph of Northwest pilots on strike, 1978.
Black and white photograph of Northwest pilots on strike, 1978.
Color image of a Northwest Airlines silver anniversary medallion, 1951.
Color image of a Northwest Airlines silver anniversary medallion, 1951.
Color image of a Northwest Airlines employee hat made by F. Veskrno Hamilton in Cincinnati, OH, c.1965.
Color image of a Northwest Airlines employee hat made by F. Veskrno Hamilton in Cincinnati, OH, c.1965.
Color image of a Northwest Airlines employee uniform made by F. Veskrno Hamilton, Cincinnati, OH, c.1965.
Color image of a Northwest Airlines employee uniform made by F. Veskrno Hamilton, Cincinnati, OH, c.1965.
Color image of an insulated canister used to keep food warm in airline meal service. The canister, which contains eight plastic bowls, was used by Northwest Airlines, c.1950s.
Color image of an insulated canister used to keep food warm in airline meal service. The canister, which contains eight plastic bowls, was used by Northwest Airlines, c.1950s.
Color imae of a Northwest Airlines in-flight blanket, manufactured by the North Star Woolen Mill, Minneapolis, c.1939.
Color imae of a Northwest Airlines in-flight blanket, manufactured by the North Star Woolen Mill, Minneapolis, c.1939.
Color image of a radio microphone used by Northwest Airlines personnel, c.1950.
Color image of a radio microphone used by Northwest Airlines personnel, c.1950.
Color image of a Northwest Airlines flight attendant's uniform, designed by Mae Hanauer of New York, c.1965.
Color image of a Northwest Airlines flight attendant's uniform, designed by Mae Hanauer of New York, c.1965.

Turning Point

Following a pilots' strike in 1998, Northwest Airlines begins the slow decline that will lead to its merger with Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Chronology

Septem-ber 1, 1926

Northwest Airways is incorporated as a Michigan company by Col. Lewis Hotchkiss Brittin, with headquarters at Speedway Flying Field (Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport).

October 1, 1926

Northwest Airways' first airmail flight leaves Speedway Field for Chicago.

July 5, 1927

The airline carries its first paying passenger, Byron Webster, who pays $40 for a twelve-and-one-half-hour flight to Chicago, with stops in La Crosse, Madison, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

April 16, 1934

The airline is incorporated as Northwest Airlines, Inc. under Minnesota law.

July 15, 1947

Northwest Airlines begins service to Japan, China, Korea, and the Philippines, and adopts the name "Northwest Orient" for publicity purposes.

1956

Northwest Airlines moves operations to a multi-million-dollar facility at Minneapolis' Wold-Chamberlain Field (formerly Speedway Flying Field).

1978

The Airline Deregulation Act removes government price restrictions causing some major carriers find it hard to compete with smaller airlines due to high union labor costs, but Northwest weathers the storm.

May 21, 1984

NWA Inc., a Delaware corporation, is established as the holding company for the airline.

January 23, 1986

Northwest purchases Republic Airlines for $884 million.

June 19, 1989

NWA Inc is acquired by Wings Holdings (later renamed Northwest Airlines Corporation) for approximately $3.5 billion.

1991

Threatened with bankruptcy, Northwest executives seek funding from the state legislature to ease the company's debts, and the state appropriates $761 million.

1998

Northwest is dealt the first of several financial blows when a pilots' strike grounds planes for nearly three weeks.

Septem-ber 2001

Northwest Airlines reduces its flight schedule and cuts approximately 10,000 employees due to decreasing demand after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

October 29, 2008

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines announces its acquisition of financially troubled Northwest Airlines. The merger will create the largest airline in the world.

January 1, 2010

The merger with Delta is complete.