NWA is the fifth largest airline in the world in terms of Revenue-Passenger-Kilometers (RPK). The Americans are SkyTeam members and serve more than 200 destinations in America, Asia, Oceania and Europe. In 2005, Northwest had to file for bankruptcy, from which they have yet to emerge.
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In 1926, Northwest Airways was founded by Col. Lewis Brittin, starting to fly mail from Minneapolis to Chicago.
In 1927, the company started flying passengers. In total, Northwest flew 106 passengers in that year. One year later, the first international route to Winnipeg, Canada, was established. The network was expanded to several smaller cities in the region in the following years.
In 1934, the airline was renamed Northwest Airlines (NWA), which it still is today. The public stock trade began in 1941.
During WWII, Northwest flew military equipment from the continental US to Alaska. Because of the harsh weather and visibility conditions, the planes’ tails were painted red, which still is NWA’s symbol today.
In 1947, the route from New York to Tokyo and onwards to Seoul, Shanghai and Manila was established. In 1949, NWA received its first Boeing 377 Stratocruisers, allowing it to reduce flight times and achieve higher standards.
In 1957, Northwest developed the first turbulence forecast system, which was especially important for NWA as it served many routes in areas with a harsh climate.
In the early 1960s, DC-8s and later Boeing 707s were bought and the last propeller aircrafts were retired.
In the mid-eighties, NWA began flying to China, Britain, Ireland, Germany and Scandinavia.
In 1986, NWA’s competitor Republic Airlines was bought and their hub system (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Detroit, Memphis) was adopted.
NWA almost faced bankruptcy in 1993, after the company had been bought by an investment group in 1989. Employees had to accept three years of wage-cuts in order to save the company.
In the same year, NWA began a partnership with KLM – Royal Dutch Airlines forming the Wings Alliance, which in 2004 became a part of the bigger SkyTeam Alliance.
Northwest once again focused on the Asian market, operating non-stop flights from the US to China from 1996 to 2002.
The company was able to produce profits due to new, more efficient technology and cost reductions, e.g. because of the new Internet check-in.
Subsequently to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Northwest had to introduce major cost-reducing measures, such as employee layoffs and the retirement of more than 50 aircraft.
Despite these initiatives NWA was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2005, for the first time in its history. Under American law it is allowed to maintain its regular flight services. The company still has not emerged from bankruptcy but plans to do so in the first half of 2007.
In January 2007, rumours came up, according to which Northwest had had early talks with Delta Air Lines about a possible merger after both airlines have emerged from bankruptcy.
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