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Northwest Airlines News and Information Main
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------ Last Updated: February 2nd, 2008 ------
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Northwest Airlines News and Information Main
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------ Last Updated: February 2nd, 2008 ------
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<>Welcome to a Special Interest Experiment!<>
Hello, everyone. A few of you may already know that I have a specific interest in the U.S. carrier Northwest Airlines. Both because I have happened to fly on NWA more than any other carrier in my life and because they are the sole major carrier serving my family's home of Minot, North Dakota, I have had the opportunity to develop a lasting interest in this particular airline company. You could say that NWA is a personal favorite.
Because of my interest in NWA, I wanted to try a little bit of an experiment here on SimViation. I am starting an airline company-specific thread about NWA that I hope to update with news and articles as events occur and news is made. Depending upon response, I will either continue to maintain this thread or let it die a natural death.
Of course, everyone's input is welcome and encouraged! This is NOT my own little thread. This is a labor of love I want to do for my own interest and to share with everyone else. Who knows? Maybe there are some other NWA fans hiding in our ranks! But, by all means, comment, contribute, and share as much as you desire. There is no attempt at exclusivity here.
And with that, let move onward with the news of NWA!
~Darrin
<> NWA flying smart, but flying strong? <>
Northwest Airlines has joined with a private investment group (TGP) to purchase Midwest Airlines. However, Northwest Airlines will be a passive partner in the running of Midwest, and apparently Midwest will continue operating under its own name and livery in a codeshare arrangement with NWA. Credit for this story goes to FOX Business, and the orignal articles can be found HERE and HERE.
In addition to this recent acquisition of Midwest Airlines, NWA has shown a bit of earnings muscle for both the 4th quarter in 2007 and all of the year for 2007. Better than expected financial performance has come in spite of rising fuel costs and fees related to previous bankruptcy charges. Credit for this information goes to the Detroit Free Press and the New Mexico Business weekly, and the original articles can be found HERE and HERE.
For Northwest Airlines, otherwise performing better than expected regarding revenues and having the muscle to be able to acquire other, smaller airlines would be great news. However, with the U.S. economy struggling, it has to wondered if NWA can maintain this momentum into 2008. One factor that may be of help to NWA is its position as the leading U.S. passenger carrier for flights across the Pacific (see here). While a weakening U.S. dollar may make overseas travel prohibitive for many Americans, by contrast the strengthening value of Asian currencies, such as the Japanese yen, may be an incentive for more Asian travelers to come to the United States where there money will stretch further. NWA's extensive domestic routes, while sure to be hit by the recent economic downturn and representing a significant infrastructural overhead, do offer NWA the opportunity to reach customers all over the U.S. and draw from a diverse pool of potential passengers.
If the U.S. economy continues to stagnate, it can not help but follow that there will be a serious impact on the airlines industry. Undoubtedly, some smaller carriers will struggle to stay and operation and many may even fold in the developing economic environment. These same economic challenges will also undoubtedly cut deeply into the bottom line of the larger American carries. If relief for the economy is not found soon, undoubtedly there will be hiring freezes, layoffs, and even fewer flights flown as demand decreases. But, as before when the largest carriers were forced to operate under bankruptcy, it seems unlikely that any carrier including NWA will be forced to close operations in the foreseeable future. If it continues to fly smart, NWA is probably flying strong enough.
I'll check in here from time to time.
