What is Northwest Airlines?

Northwest Airlines was a Minnesota-based carrier that merged with Delta Air Lines in 2008, making Delta the United States' largest airline at that time. As of 2015, there are no Northwest-branded flights.

Northwest Airlines began in 1926 as an airmail carrier. The company introduced passenger service in 1927 and expanded its routes to several western U.S. cities over the next few years. The airline started transcontinental service in 1949, and it assisted in the Korean airlift from 1950 to 1953. Northwest offered flights to Asia as early as 1947, and the corporation sometimes used the name Northwest Orient Airlines in marketing materials. The airline added transatlantic flights in 1979.