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Headquarters:
7500 Airline Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55450
Employees: 31,000
CEO: Douglas Steenland
Stock Symbol: NWA
Website:
http://www.nwa.com
Career Site
Northwest Airlines is one of the world's
largest airlines flying over 1,400 daily departures with hubs
in Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam.
The company has a commuter subsidiary called Northwest Airlink.
Northwest was acquired by Delta Air Lines in October 2008 in a stock deal valued at $2.7 billion which will form the world's largest airline. The number of jobs lost has yet to be determined but Northwest planes and uniforms will eventually change to Delta in 2009.
Northwest is a member of SkyTeam, an airline
alliance that offers customers one of the world's most extensive
global networks. Northwest and its travel partners serve more
than 1,000 cities in over 160 countries on six continents. Northwest
operates more than 200 nonstop flights between the United States
and Asia each week.
The airline operates a fleet of more than
500 aircraft including Boeing 747s, and 757s, McDonnell-Douglas
DC-9s and Airbus A330s, A320s and A319s. Northwest also is one
of the world's largest cargo airlines, operating a dedicated
fleet of 14 B747 freighters. It is the only U.S. combination
carrier (passenger and cargo service) to operate dedicated 747
freighters.
Company facilities include:
- World Headquarters: Minneapolis/St. Paul
- Reservations Centers: Baltimore, Chisholm, Minn.; Minneapolis/St.
Paul; Seattle/Tacoma; Tampa, Fla.
- Maintenance Bases: Minneapolis/St. Paul; Tokyo
- Pilot Bases: Anchorage; Detroit; Honolulu; Memphis, Tenn.; Minneapolis/St.
Paul
- Flight Attendant Bases: In the United States: Boston, Detroit,
Honolulu, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York
Kennedy/La Guardia, San Francisco and Seattle/Tacoma. International
locations include Bangkok, Thailand; Hong Kong; Manila,
Philippines; Osaka, Japan; Beijing; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; Tokyo
- In Flight Office: Amsterdam
The company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection in May, 2006
In 2007, Northwest had revenues of $12.52
billion and net incom of $2.09 billion.
Due to high fuel costs, Northwest announced
in April it will reduce its schedule by 5% this fall and freeze
hiring of employees.
History
1926 -
September 1: Col. Lewis Brittin founds Northwest Airways
as a Michigan corporation with operations based at Speedway Flying
Field (site of today's Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport).
Harold H. Emmons of Detroit is the first president; Col. Brittin
is vice president and general manager.
October 1: Northwest Airways takes to the sky, carrying
air mail from the Twin Cities to Chicago with a "fleet"
of two rented, open-cockpit biplanes - a Thomas Morse Scout and
a Curtiss Oriole.
November 2: Northwest introduces the nation's first closed-cabin
commercial plane - the three passenger Stinson Detroiter.
1927
July 5: St. Paul businessman Byron Webster becomes Northwest's
first ticketed passenger, paying $40 for a 12 1/2-hour, one-way
flight from the Twin Cities to Chicago via La Crosse, Madison,
and Milwaukee, Wis. Charlie "Speed" Holman, Northwest's
first pilot, is at the controls.
Northwest adds the Laird biplane to its fleet for mail service.
In 1927, Northwest carries a total of 106 passengers - about
one-fourth the capacity of a single Boeing 747 from today's fleet.
1928
February 1: Northwest becomes an international airline
with weekly Twin Cities-Winnipeg flights via Fargo, N.D. Fargo-Winnipeg
service is suspended after three months due to opposition from
the Canadian government.
April 2: The first scheduled air express is carried into
the Twin Cities.
September 1: The first coordinated air-rail mail service
begins from the Twin Cities to Chicago. Service expands to Green
Bay, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Neenah-Menasha and Appleton, Wis.
Northwest expands its fleet with Waco biplanes, mostly for airmail
service, six-passenger single-engine Hamilton Metalplanes and
14-passenger Ford Tri-Motors.
1929
August 1: Twin Cities businessmen led by Richard C. Lilly
of St. Paul purchase Northwest Airways from the original Michigan
investor group. Lilly is named president. First night air mail
flight between the Twin Cities-Chicago. The Government adopts
Northwest's "U.S. Air Mail" insignia for all air mail
carriers.
Service expands to Rochester, MN.
1938 - Northwest develops the first practical aviation
oxygen mask, making possible high-altitude flying over the Rocky
Mountains.
1948 - The "Red Tail" is painted on all Northwest
aircraft for the first time, creating a trademark that becomes
known world-wide and that continues in use almost 50 years later.
1955 - Northwest voluntarily becomes the first airline
to operate without government subsidy on Trans-Pacific and United
States-Alaska routes.
1960 - Northwest begins "fastest U.S. jet service
to Asia" with Douglas DC8 aircraft, the airline's first
"pure jet."
1971 - Northwest is honored for noise abatement leadership
by National Organization to Ensure a Sound-Controlled Environment.
1976 - Northwest is the first airline approved by FAA
to install coordinated flight crew training.
1988 - Northwest bans smoking on all North American flights,
the first major U.S. airline to do so.
1991 - Northwest and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launch their
first joint service, twice-weekly flights between Minneapolis/St.
Paul and Amsterdam.
Benefits
Northwest Airlines offers competitive compensation
including group medical, dental and life insurance; paid holidays,
vacation and sick leave; 401K; and, a company paid retirement
program. Travel privileges are extended to employees and
their eligible family members.
Updated November 11, 2008
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