Northwest Airlines Boeing 747 fleet history
Northwest Airlines was the launch customer for the PW4000-powered 747-400 in 1989, flying ten 747-100s, nineteen 747-200Bs, eight 747-200Fs and sixteen 747-400s.
Northwest Airlines, based in Minneapolis and Detroit, ordered ten 747-100s, nineteen 747-200Bs, eight 747-200Fs and sixteen 747-400s — one of the largest US 747 operators.
Northwest put its first 747-100s on Pacific routes, where long over-water sectors favoured the big jet, and later flew the 747-200B and the 747-200F freighter.
Northwest was the launch customer for the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 on the 747-400, ordering in December 1985. The first aircraft, N663US, was delivered in January 1989 and entered revenue service on 9 February 1989 between Minneapolis and Phoenix.
Ship 6301 (N661US), the first production 747-400, was also a Northwest aircraft — it flew for Northwest and Delta before becoming the preserved 747 Experience at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta.
| Model | Notes |
|---|---|
| 747-100 (10) | Initial Pacific operator, from 1970 |
| 747-200B (19) | Passenger workhorse across the Pacific |
| 747-200F (8) | Freighter fleet, later flown by the merged carrier |
| 747-400 (16) | PW4000 launch fleet from 1989 |
The 2008 merger with Delta made Delta the 747-400 operator; the merged airline retired the last ex-Northwest 747-400s in January 2010.
Sources
- Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-400 — Northwest Airlines History
- The Boeing 747 on aerospaceweb — Aerospaceweb
- Delta Flight Museum 747 history — Delta Flight Museum
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the primary and institutional references below.
- Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-400 — Northwest Airlines History
- The Boeing 747 on aerospaceweb — Aerospaceweb
- Delta Flight Museum 747 history — Delta Flight Museum
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