Highlight
1960 - Begins "fastest U.S. jet service to Asia" with Douglas DC8 aircraft, the airline's first "pure jet."
1968 & 1969 - Northwest leads the U.S. airline industry in net profit.
1960
July 8: Northwest begins "fastest U.S. jet service to Asia" with Douglas DC-8 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 DC-3's and replaces them with jet-prop Fairchild F-27's.
Service expands to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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 Flight Safety Foundation safety award for turbulence research.
Northwest is awarded Presidential "E" for development of export markets and Visit the U.S.A. promotion in Asia.
Boeing 727 joins the Northwest fleet.
1965
Service expands to Philadelphia.
1966
July 17: Through-plane service begins to Asia from Philadelphia, Detroit and the 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 DC-9 jets. Over the years, the sturdy DC-9 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 region 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 was later Northwest's Building C maintenance and administrative facility.
Northwest again leads the U.S. airline industry in net profit.