Northwest Historical Timeline
1960
July 8: Northwest begins "fastest U.S. jet service
to Asia" with Douglas DC8 aircraft, the airline's first "pure
jet".
July: Northwest moves into its new maintenance and overhaul
base at Wold-Chamberlain Field.
August 31: Chicago-Anchorage-Tokyo service begins.
November 18: Bonanza Airlines becomes America's first
"all jet-powered airline when it retires its last DC3's and
replaces them with jet-prop Fairchild F-27's.
Service expands to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Northwest pioneers jet noise abatement procedures.
1961
New general office at Wold-Chamberlain Field is occupied, completing
consolidation of operations at the new facility.
The Northwest fleet expands again with the Boeing 720B, a four-engine
jetliner.
1962
Northwest originates wind shear forecasts to warn of sudden changes
in wind direction.
1963
Northwest becomes the nation's first all fan-jet operator.
The Boeing 707-320 enters service with Northwest.
1964
Northwest receives the Flight Safety Foundation safety award for
turbulence research.
Northwest is awarded the Presidential "E" for development
of export markets and "Visit the U.S.A." promotion in
Asia.
The Boeing 727 joins the Northwest fleet.
1965
Service expands to Philadelphia.
1966
July 17: Through-plane service begins to Asia from Philadelphia,
Detroit and Twin Cities via Seattle.
October 1: Northwest wins approval to serve Hong Kong.
Pacific Airlines is incorporated.
1967
July 31: Service expands to Osaka, Japan, and Hilo, Hawaii.
North Central and Southern take delivery of their first DC9 jets.
In the years to come, the sturdy DC9 will become the workhorse
of Northwest's domestic fleet.
1968
April 25: Air West is incorporated, combining the previous operations
of Pacific, Bonanza and West Coast airlines.
Northwest leads the U.S. airline industry in net profit for the
first time.
1969
August 1: San Francisco-Honolulu-Asia flights begin.
October 4: Twin Cities-Los Angeles and Twin Cities-San
Francisco flights are launched.
North Central Airlines moves into a new administrative and operational
headquarters complex on the south side of Minneapolis/St. Paul
International Airport. The facility today is Northwest's Building
C maintenance and administrative facility.
Northwest again leads the U.S. airline industry in net profit.
