Northwest Airlines & Northwest Orient History 1926–2010 – Airline Employee Shop

Northwest Airlines History

Northwest Airlines flew for more than 80 years, from a two-biplane airmail route out of the Twin Cities to a global carrier with hubs in Minneapolis–St. Paul, Detroit, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam. Here's a short history of the airline and its famous red tails, plus the Northwest Airlines collection and the Northwest Orient collection that keep its look alive.

From airmail to passengers (1926–1934)

Northwest Airways was formed on September 1, 1926, and began carrying airmail between the Twin Cities and Chicago that October with two rented biplanes. Passenger service followed in July 1927. The first ticketed passenger paid $40 for a trip that took about twelve and a half hours. A St. Paul investor group bought the company in 1929, and in 1934 it was reincorporated in Minnesota as Northwest Airlines.

The Northwest Orient years

In 1947 Northwest became the first U.S. airline to fly to Japan, with service continuing on to Seoul, Shanghai and Manila. That year it began calling itself "Northwest Orient" in its advertising, a name that stuck for four decades even though the legal name never changed. Travelers of the era remember the double-deck Boeing 377 Stratocruisers (1949–1960), the red tails, and the "Fan-Jet Airline" advertising of the 1960s.

Republic, KLM and the 747-400 (1986–2007)

The 1986 purchase of Republic Airlines nearly doubled the workforce and built the three-hub system of Minneapolis–St. Paul, Detroit and Memphis. "Orient" was dropped from the brand. A 1989 buyout brought in new owners including KLM, and that same year Northwest became the launch customer for the Boeing 747-400. The 1989 Landor livery became known among employees as the "bowling shoe." In 1993 Northwest and KLM formed a pioneering transatlantic partnership built around Amsterdam. A simpler livery and logo arrived in 2003, and the airline went through Chapter 11 from 2005 to 2007.

Merger with Delta

Delta announced its purchase of Northwest in April 2008. The two carriers began flying under a single operating certificate on December 31, 2009, and Northwest's reservations moved into Delta's system at the end of January 2010, closing the book on the Northwest name.

A few things collectors love

  • In 1929 the U.S. government adopted Northwest's "U.S. Air Mail" pilot wings as the standard for all airmail carriers.
  • Northwest Flight 305 was the plane hijacked by the man known as D.B. Cooper in November 1971.
  • 2026 marks 100 years since Northwest was founded. Former employees keep its story alive at the NWA History Center in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Shop Northwest

Browse Northwest and Northwest Orient logo apparel, coffee mugs, coasters, tote bags and vintage travel-poster designs in the Northwest Airlines collection and the Northwest Orient collection. Pair them with an airline bag tag or key tag for a gift any former NWA employee or Red Tail fan will appreciate.

AirlineEmployeeShop.com is an independent retailer of airline memorabilia. This page is for historical interest and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Delta Air Lines.