Northwest Airlines was founded in 1926 under the name Northwest Airways. In 1934 it adopted the name Northwest Airlines.
From 1947 to 1986 the airline used the brand name "Northwest Orient".
In 1986, after the merger with Republic Airlines, the airline returned to its pre-1947 name, Northwest Airlines.
In 2008, Northwest was merged into Delta Air Lines. The Northwest brand is expected to be retired by the end of 2010.