Northwest Orient Airlines

Ghost Corp Apparel — resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Northwest Orient Airlines was the long-haul, globe-spanning face of one of America’s oldest airlines. Based in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, the carrier traced its roots back to 1926 and became especially well known for its transpacific routes to Asia, with the “Orient” branding helping signal its international reach during the jet age.

For decades, Northwest Orient connected the Midwest to the wider world with a bold red tail and a name that sounded like it belonged on a ticket jacket, a lounge sign, or the side of a 747 headed somewhere far more glamorous than your current gate.

Eventually the name was shortened back to Northwest Airlines, because apparently even airline branding gets downsized. After years of mergers, competition, and industry turbulence, Northwest itself disappeared into Delta in 2008.

A big international name, a classic jet-age identity, and one more airline ghost filed under “final destination: merger.”

Explore our Northwest Orient Airlines collection celebrating one of the most iconic names of the golden age of air travel.