Category Archives: Northwest Airlines

Delta to retire NWA Cargo 747-200Fs on Dec. 31

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Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) in order to improve profitability of its cargo operation, will retire its 14 Northwest Cargo Boeing 747-200Fs on December 31, 2009. These 14 aircraft will not be repainted.

On the financial side, the company reported a net loss for the first quarter of $693 million, excluding special items. Excluding $684 million in realized fuel hedge losses and special items, DL’s results were basically break even. However DL’s reported net loss for the quarter is $794 million.

Delta completed the merger with Northwest Airlines on October 29, 2008. However their are still two air operators certificates (AOCs). The company is on track to have a single operating AOC by the end of 2009. When this occurs, this will be the technical end of Northwest Airlines-NWA.

Delta and Northwest to cross fleet some flights

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will start cross-fleeting with Northwest Airlines some flights starting on April 1. The carrier will better match routes with aircraft types. Therefore some Northwest Airlines operated aircraft may be seen flying on some Delta flights and vice versa. The NW fleet is rapidly being repainted but technically there are still two airlines with two separate AOCs until the AOCs can be merged.

Delta to phase out the Northwest brand in 2010

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Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) is quickly repainting the Northwest Airlines-NWA fleet, changing signage and issuing Delta uniforms to NW flight crews. The Northwest brand will be gone by the end of 2010.

Watch for a special salute to the history of Northwest Airlines this summer in the Airliners Gallery digital photo library. Click on the photo for a sample and then search on “Northwest” (many more photos coming).

Delta is likely to trade 787s on order for 777s

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Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) is not likely to take the 18 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners Northwest ordered when the aircraft are ready. In a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Delta deleted the 787s from the required report. Officially Delta has not yet cancelled the order but is reportedly talking to Boeing about additional Boeing 777s instead.