NWAC Northwest Airlines (MM)

Airline to Upgrade Its World Business Class Service Between Los Angeles and Tokyo MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Northwest Airlines (NASDAQ:NWAC) today announced that it will indefinitely suspend its daily nonstop service from New York's JFK Airport to Tokyo's Narita Airport due to the record-high cost of jet fuel. "Northwest remains firmly committed to its Narita hub, an integral part of our global route network, and to serving travelers in the New York-Tokyo market," said Phil Haan, executive vice president of international, alliances and information technology and chairman of NWA Cargo. "Unfortunately, the record-high cost of fuel, a challenge facing the entire airline industry, is severely affecting the financial viability of some routes and forcing us to make some difficult decisions." Northwest's nonstop New York-Tokyo service will be discontinued beginning October 2, however the airline will continue to offer single connecting service from New York area airports to Tokyo through its Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul hubs. During the month of August, the available seat miles (ASMs) flown between New York-JFK Airport and Tokyo-Narita Airport accounted for approximately 2 percent of Northwest's system ASMs and 8 percent of its Pacific ASMs. The airline is in the process of proactively contacting its customers to re-accommodate them on flights operated by Northwest or its SkyTeam alliance partners. BOEING 747-400 AIRCRAFT TO OPERATE LOS ANGELES-TOKYO FLIGHTS The Boeing 747-400 aircraft dedicated to the New York-Tokyo flight will be redeployed to operate Northwest's Los Angeles-Tokyo service, offering Northwest's lie-flat World Business Class seat and in-flight entertainment system to the Los Angeles-Tokyo market. All 16 of Northwest's 747-400 aircraft are equipped with the airline's lie-flat World Business Class seats, which offer 176 degrees of recline, more degrees of recline than any other U.S. airline's competing product, as well as an array of innovative comforts and features. World Business Class customers also enjoy a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system not offered by any other U.S. carrier, featuring a wide variety of audio and video entertainment, all available on demand. Northwest's Los Angeles-Tokyo service is currently operated with a Boeing 747-200. Northwest Airlines is the world's fourth largest airline with hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam, and approximately 1,400 daily departures. Northwest is a member of SkyTeam, an airline alliance that offers customers one of the world's most extensive global networks. Northwest and its travel partners serve more than 900 cities in excess of 160 countries on six continents. DATASOURCE: Northwest Airlines CONTACT: Northwest Media Relations, +1-612-726-2331 Web site: http://www.nwa.com/

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