Northwest Airlines was a major United States airline which existed from 1926 until 2010, when it merged with Delta Air Lines and became part of Delta Air Lines' fleet. At the time of the merger, it had a total of 309 aircraft. It was also the last U.S. airline to have a dedicated cargo fleet and routes.
Northwest, unlike Delta, operated a mixed fleet of Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Airbus aircraft. The Boeing 757 was the only type of jet common to the pre-merger fleets of both Delta and Northwest. The airline ceased operations and merged into Delta on January 31, 2010. Most of Northwest's Boeing 747 fleet was sent to Delta which had retired all of its own 747s in the 1970s.
As part of a major fleet renewal program, Northwest introduced a simplified new paint scheme and logo in 2003, emphasizing its callsign (NWA). The airline replaced its McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliners with the Airbus A330. Its first Airbus A330-300, used initially for European flights, arrived on August 6, 2003. Northwest also flew the longer ranged and slightly shorter A330-200 on some trans-Pacific flights, within the Orient, and on some trans-Atlantic routes. The majority of Northwest's flights between North America and Europe were flown in Airbus A330s. (Northwest became the largest owner and flier of A330s in the world.)[1] Northwest Airlines also possessed the youngest trans-Atlantic fleet of any North American or European airline. Northwest Airlines also began flying reconfigured Boeing 757-200 airliners on some of its European flights carrying fewer passengers. Northwest was one of only two passenger airlines in the United States to fly the Boeing 747-400, with the only other one being United Airlines. One Boeing 747-400 originally destined to fly for Northwest Airlines was sold to United Airlines which was in service until United retired its 747 fleet in 2017.
Northwest was looking for manufacturers to discuss the replacement of their 100, 110 and 125 seat McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft, with an average age of 35 years.[2] [3]
In January 2008, Northwest advised its pilots that the airline planned to cut its fleet of 92 DC-9s to 68 by the end of 2008. Northwest stated that pilot jobs will not be reduced, as they would hire approximately 200–250 pilots by the end of 2008.[4] On April 23, 2008, due to soaring fuel costs from $1.85 in the first quarter of 2007 to $2.77 in the first quarter of 2008, Northwest announced that an additional 15 to 20 aircraft would be removed from its fleet by the end of 2009. The grounded aircraft included ten or so DC-9s, with the balance of the 15 to 20 being a mix of 10 Boeing 757s and 4 Airbus A320s.
The airline's average fleet age was 18.5 years by the end of 2009.[5] The Boeing customer code for Northwest Airlines was 7x7-x51 (i.e. 747-451). As of October 29, 2008, at the time of the merger, Northwest Airlines' fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[6]
| In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | Y | Total | |||||
| Airbus A319-100 | 57 | - | - | 16 | 108 | 124 | All were transferred to Delta Air Lines. | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 72 | - | - | 16 | 132 | 148 | ||
| Airbus A330-200 | 11 | - | 32 | - | 211 | 243 | ||
| Airbus A330-300 | 21 | - | 34 | - | 264 | 298 | ||
| Boeing 747-400 | 16 | - | 65 | - | 338 | 403 | Launch customer. N661US ship 6301, the first 747-400, which had a rudder hardover and an airworthiness directive as Flight 85, is preserved at the Delta Heritage Museum. All were transferred to Delta Air Lines and later retired in 2018.[7] | |
| Boeing 757-200 | 45 | - | - | 22 | 160 | 182 | All were transferred to Delta Air Lines. | |
| Boeing 757-300 | 16 | - | - | 24 | 200 | 224 | ||
| Boeing 787-8 | - | 18 | 48 | - | 154 | 202 | Orders were transferred to Delta Air Lines, but were later cancelled in 2016.[8] | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 | 30 | - | - | 16 | 84 | 100 | All were transferred to Delta Air Lines and later retired in 2010. Never wore Delta livery. | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-40 | 7 | - | - | 16 | 94 | 110 | All were transferred to Delta Air Lines and later retired in 2011. Never wore Delta livery. | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 | 34 | - | - | 16 | 109 | 125 | All were transferred to Delta Air Lines and later retired in 2014. | |
| Total | 309 | 18 | ||||||
Northwest Airlines previously operated the following aircraft:
| + Northwest Airlines retired fleet[9] | Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 377 Stratocruiser | 10 | 1949 | 1960 | ||
| Boeing 707-320B | 5 | 1963 | 1971 | ||
| Boeing 707-320C | 30 | 1964 | 1978 | ||
| Boeing 720B | 17 | 1961 | 1974 | ||
| Boeing 727-100 | 36 | 1964 | 1991 | ||
| Boeing 727-200 | 82 | 1968 | 2003 | ||
| Boeing 747-100 | 12 | 1970 | 1998 | ||
| Boeing 747-200 | 24 | 1971 | 2007 | ||
| Convair CV-580 | 14 | 1986 | 1994 | Former Republic Airlines fleet. | |
| Curtiss C-46 Commando | 10 | 1942 | Leased from the United States Army Air Force. | ||
| Douglas C-47 Skytrain | 20 | 1944 | 1958 | ||
| Douglas C-54 Skymaster | 40 | 1946 | 1961 | ||
| Douglas DC-3A | 13 | 1939 | 1950 | ||
| Douglas DC-4 | 4 | 1947 | 1961 | ||
| Douglas DC-6A | 7 | 1953 | 1963 | ||
| Douglas DC-6B | 17 | 1954 | 1965 | ||
| Douglas DC-7C | 17 | 1957 | 1968 | ||
| Douglas DC-8-32 | 5 | 1960 | 1964 | ||
| Ford 5-AT TriMotor | 5 | 1928 | 1935 | ||
| Lockheed L-9 Orion | 3 | 1931 | 1933 | ||
| Lockheed L-10 Electra | 15 | 1934 | 1943 | ||
| Lockheed L-14 Super Electra | 9 | 1937 | 1939 | ||
| Lockheed L-188C Electra | 18 | 1959 | 1972 | ||
| Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation | 4 | 1955 | 1958 | ||
| Martin 2-0-2 | 25 | 1947 | 1952 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 | 21 | 1986 | 2005 | Former Republic Airlines fleet. | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 | 8 | ||||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15RC | 5 | 1993 | |||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 | 21 | 1991 | 2007 | Sold to ATA Airlines and Omni Air International. | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30ER | 3 | 1998 | 2006 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 | 22 | 1973 | 2002 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 9 | 1986 | 1999 | Former Republic Airlines fleet. One crashed as Flight 255. | |
| Sikorsky S-38 | 3 | 1931 | 1935 | ||
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 377 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Douglas DC-3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Douglas DC-6A | 7 | 0 | ||
| Douglas DC-6B | 17 | 0 | ||
| Douglas DC-7C | 17 | 0 | ||
| Douglas DC-8 | 0 | 5 | First jet aircraft type operated by the airline.[11] | |
| Lockheed L-188 | 0 | 18 | First turboprop aircraft type operated by the airline.[12] | |
| Total | 53 | 23 |
Prior to 1960, Northwest operated several other types of piston powered propeller airliners including Lockheed L-10 Electra, Lockheed L-14 Super Electra, Lockheed Constellation (L-1049G model) and Martin 2-0-2 aircraft.[13]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 707-300B | 10 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 707-300C | 26 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 720B | 16 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 727-100 | 30 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 727-200 | 34 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-100 | 0 | 15 | ||
| Boeing 2707 | 0 | 0 | 6 Options | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 | 0 | 14 | ||
| Total | 116 | 29 |
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 727-100 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 727-100C | 12 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 727-200 | 46 | 4 | ||
| Boeing 747-100 | 12 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-200B | 11 | 1 | ||
| Boeing 747-200F | 4 | 1 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 | 22 | 0 | ||
| Total | 111 | 6 |
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 6 | 19 | ||
| Airbus A330 | 0 | 16 | ||
| Airbus A340 | 0 | 20 | ||
| Boeing 727-100 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 727-200 | 62 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-100 | 12 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-200B | 20 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-200F | 8 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-400 | 10 | 2 | ||
| Boeing 757-200 | 33 | 40 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-10 | 20 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 | 77 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 | 28 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 | 20 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 323 | 105 |
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 12 | 56 | 82 Options | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 70 | 12 | ||
| Airbus A330-300 | 0 | 16 | ||
| Boeing 727-200 Adv | 31 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-100 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-200B | 21 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-200F | 12 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 747-400 | 14 | 0 | ||
| Boeing 757-200 | 48 | 25 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-10 | 10 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 | 115 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-40 | 12 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 | 35 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 | 22 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 | 21 | 0 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 430 | 127 |
According to the Northwest Airlines historical website, a number of regional and commuter air carriers operated service as Northwest Airlink over the years via respective code sharing agreements to include the following airlines and aircraft types:[18]
As of 2006, Northwest Cargo was the largest cargo carrier among U.S. combination passenger and cargo airlines. Northwest Cargo's fleet of 15 dedicated Boeing 747 freighter aircraft flew from key cities throughout the United States and Asia and connected the carrier's cargo hub in Anchorage, Alaska, United States (Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport), facilitating the quick transfer of cargo between large cities on both sides of the Pacific. Northwest Cargo also transported freight aboard the passenger fleet of Northwest Airlines to more than 250 cities worldwide.
As of early 2008, Northwest's largest cargo client was DHL International. In December 2007, Northwest announced that DHL International would terminate its cargo agreement with the airline effective late 2008. According to NWA Chief Financial Officer Dave Davis, the loss of its largest cargo client would bring significant changes to the division.[19]
Northwest Cargo served airports and routes not served by the passenger operation - the last U.S. carrier to maintain a separate fleet and route network exclusively for cargo. Such cargo-only cities on Northwest's route map included Wilmington, Ohio, and cargo only routes included Chicago, Illinois to Anchorage, Alaska.
On April 21, 2009, Delta announced they were grounding 8 of their Boeing 747-200 freighter aircraft on December 31, 2009. The last flight of a dedicated cargo aircraft was December 26, 2009. Currently, Delta maintains freight activity on some of their passenger aircraft's lower deck.