Northwest Airlines' N674US

Our September edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" goes back to September 2004, and Northwest Airlines' 747-451, N674US "City of Shanghai" (c/n 30269, l/n 1232, f/n 6314) seen above at Gate 12.

N674US was delivered to Northwest Airlines in October 1999, leased from Debis AirFinance. In 2005, it was sold to AerCo, and its leased transferred. In the summer of 2006, N674US was painted in the mica grey Northwest livery. When Northwest and Delta Air Lines merged, N674US was transferred to the Delta fleet. In April 2009, it was painted in the Delta livery. In June 2001, it was placed into storage at MZJ, and was returned to service a year later with a new cabin configuration. N674US was retired in January 2018, and presently sits in storage at MZJ.

Delta Retires N661US

Delta Air Lines is retiring N661US (c/n 23719, l/n 696, f/n 6301), Boeing's first 747-400. It made its final revenue flight from HNL to ATL, as DAL836 this evening. The airline will preserve this airliner at its museum in Atlanta.

This 747-451 was originally registered as N401PW, as the prototype model for the -400, and first flew in April 1988. It was delivered to Northwest Airlines in December 1989 as N661US, under lease from AT&T Capital Services. When Delta and Northwest merged, Delta purchased N661US outright as it was transferred into the fleet.

The above photo was taken in May 2007 at HNL, as N661US taxied to Runway 8R for departure to NRT as NWA15.

Northwest's N674US

Our first "HNL RareBirds Classic" of 2015 is Northwest Airlines' 747-451, N674US "City of Shanghai" (c/n 30269, l/n 1232, f/n 6314), seen above at HNL's Gate 12 in early 2005.

N674US was delivered to Northwest in October 1999, leased from debis Air Finance. In 2005, it was sold to AerCo. In mid-2006, N674US was painted in the mica-based, final Northwest livery. When Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines merged, N674US was transferred to the Delta fleet. It was painted in Delta colors in April 2009, temporarily stored in July 2011, and returned to service in June 2012.

Northwest's N239NW

Our April edition of "HNL RareBirds Classics" features Northwest Airlines' DC-10-30, N239NW (c/n 48290, l/n 435, f/n 1239), seen above on Taxiway RT, in May 2004. It had received the final NWA livery a month prior to this photograph being taken.

48290 was originally delivered to Thai Airways in December 1987, as HS-TMB. In April 1998, Northwest acquired this DC-10-30, and registered as N239NW. In October 2006, Omni Air International acquired, and registered it as N612AX. Since February 2012, it has been in storage at GYR.

In July 2003, I rode N239NW from SEA to HNL, when it wore the tri-color "bowling shoe" livery.

NW Flight Codes Gone

Effective today, all of the Northwest flight codes have gone away, taken over by Delta flight codes. Thus, really ending the end of an era. The only legacy left of NW are the registration numbers on the DL fleet, N___NW and N___US.

Northwest Airlines ... Aloha ‘Oe

Today officially marks the end of Northwest Airlines, as the merger with Delta Air Lines is complete with DL and NW operating under one certificate. That means the red tail and compass logo will soon fade away as all of the NW jets receive DL colors.

Atlanta Bizjournals coverage.

In the photos above, these three types were the most common at HNL
N676NW (top photo), 747-451 (c/n 33002), is seen arriving from NRT, as NWA22, on Runway 4R.

N589NW (center), 757-351 (c/n 32989), is seen departing Runway 8R to SEA as NWA2220

N805NW (above), A330-323X (msn 552) at Gate 13 in a photo taken in November 2008, being prepped to return to KIX as NWA15.

Both N676NW and N805NW have since been repainted in DL colors, and as of November 2009, N589NW has yet to be re-painted in DL colors.

Other things seen around HNL tonight

While driving around the ramp tonight, there were a couple of interesting aircraft here.

Top picture: Parked on the hardstands was an Omega Tanker 707-368C, N707MQ.

Middle picture: A Northwest 757-351 (N590NW) at Gate 16 painted in Delta colors just before departing as NW622 to LAX. Sorry for the horrible shot with the jet bridge in the way, but Northwest was setup and waiting for another Northwest flight that was taxiing in at the time.

Bottom picture: A Continental 737-824 (N73278) at Gate 12 getting ready to depart as CO12 to LAX. This flight is supposed to be a 737-900ER, but issues with using pre-recorded video on the LiveTV system has made Continental down gauge the flight to a -800 until the issues are sorted out. There is no LiveTV satellite coverage in the Pacific between Hawaii and the West Coast, so pre-recorded videos need to be used to provide the IFE on these flights.

NW 747-400 in DL colors

Today's NW22/21 was operated by N661US which is in DL colors. So far we have had NW A330-300s and 747-400s appear here at HNL repainted in DL colors. Only the 757-300s haven't shown up in DL colors yet.

NWA624

This afternoon's Northwest Airlines Flight 624 to MSP had to abort take-off, for reasons unknown. It was scheduled for a 1706HST departure, but was seen here at 1717HST. The aircraft came to a halt at the intersection of Taxiways RG and RA. After several more minutes, the A330 taxied down RA back to the main terminal. It left an hour-and-a-half later for MSP.

The A330-323X, N809NW (msn 0663), seen above, is already painted in the new Delta Air Lines livery, but was delivered in Northwest colors in 2005. In the link, the photo is dated in late February 2009, so N809NW must have been recently re-painted in the new Delta livery.

NWA Brings Fighting Irish To HNL

Northwest Airlines brought the Notre Dame University Fighting Irish football team to Honolulu for the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl that will be played on Christmas Eve at Aloha Stadium, and aired on ESPN (20:00EST). The Fighting Irish will be facing the University of Hawai‘i Warriors, who will be the visiting team yet playing on their home field.

NWA9971, a 747-400, left SBN (South Bend, IN) last night at 19:19EST, and flew to LAX for a two-hour fuel stop, before arriving at HNL this morning at 00:51HST.

Go Warriors!!!

Delta 747-400

Does NWA operate any -400's through HNL? N665US Delta livery - Airliners and JetPhotos.

NW & DL Merger Finalized

The merger of Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines was completed when the federal government approved it this week. The merger will carry on the Delta name and branding, while the Northwest name and branding will fade away the same way Western Airlines did when Delta bought them in 1986.

What will this mean for Hawai‘i? Flights may be consolidated (LAX and SFO?), and we will begin to see NW aircraft in hybrid DL colors within a few months.

Guess we will get to see NW 744s and A333s in full DL colors within a year or so. Get you NW shots while you can!

Top photo: Delta's 767-432ER, N837MH (c/n 29710), is seen rotating from Runway 22L.

Above photo: Northwest's A330-323X, N805NW (msn 552) is seen at Gate 12 being readied for its return to NRT.

Another HNL RareBirds Blast From The Past

A fine mix of 747’s, DC-8’s and DC-10’s surrounding the Diamond Head terminal in the mid 1970’s. You don’t see stairs being used for 747’s and DC-10’s these days let alone in the area seen here. Two of United’s aircraft do not yet have the "stars and bars" livery on their fuselage. The Japan Airlines 747 is likely inbound from LAX and continuing on to Tokyo. Visible also is the tail of a Korean Air 747. Photo credit State of Hawaii Archives

Northwest Airlines To Retire 747-200s

Northwest Airlines will be retiring the remainder of their passenger 747-200Bs with a final flight on Wednesday, September 12, 2007. The flight, according to an Airliners.net forum thread will route from NRT (Narita International, Tokyo, Japan) to SEA as NWA008, and SEA to MSP as NWA170. Northwest will retain two -200Bs to be used for civilian and military charters.

The -200B series was relegated to back up status over the past few years, as NW mainly used the 747-400 and DC-10-30 for their HNL-Japan service. The DC-10-30s were retired at the beginning of this year, and replaced with the Airbus A330-300.

The 747-251B NW will be using, is N624US (c/n 21706), built and delivered to NW in 1979. "6624" (NW's fleet number) is seen above reversing thrust on HNL's Runway 4R as it arrives from KIX as NWA016, back in 2005.

Northwest A330-300s to Japan

Northwest has replaced the 747-400 that used to fly HNL-KIX with the A330-323. This was supposed to happen 01 July, but that didn't happen, as it was still a 747-400. Not exactly sure when the change happened, but I was finally able to get a picture of the NW A330-323 today.

Not really a rarebird, but there doesn't seem to be to many HNL pictures of a NW 757-300s. It seems like this NW 757-300 was supposed to operate NW218 to PDX last night, Feb. 20, but it was parked on the hardstands this morning. Looking at some flight information for last night, it looks like NW218 returned to the gate for maintenance. I did see maintenance personnel working on the aircraft.

However, the main reason for posting this picture is the double rainbow in the background. When I took this picture, I only saw the darker rainbow and didn't even know there was a second lighter rainbow.

Aloha ‘Oe Northwest DC-10-30s!

Northwest Airlines operated its final DC-10-30 flight, as N237NW flew the MSP-HNL-MSP run (NWA099/098). N237NW was the DC-10 used for the ASU charter earlier in the month.

Airbus A330-200s and -300s will take over the long-haul wide-body routes.

Some of the remaining DC-10-30s will move on to American Trans Air - ATA (TZ).

In the top photo, N239NW (c/n 48290) in the current NW colors, taxies down Taxiway RT to Runway 26L. 239 is about to become N612AX for Omni Aviation Leasing (Tulsa, OK). In the above photo, N225NW (c/n 46582), in the old 1991 NW colors is on a very short final for Runway 4R. 225 is still with NW, though not for long.

Warriors Win Hawai‘i Bowl!

Updating the Northwest's N237NW post, the University of Hawai‘i Warriors defeated the Arizona State University Sun Devils in the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl, 41 -24! Hawai‘i Quarterback Colt Brennan now holds the single-season touchodwn record with 58!

Another Northwest DC-10-30 was waiting on the north ramp yesterday morning waiting to take the Sun Devils back to PHX, as NWA9981.

Northwest Airlines' N237NW

Arizona State University has chartered this old colors Northwest Airlines DC-10-30, N237NW (c/n 47844), to bring their Sun Devils football team to challenge the University of Hawai‘i Warriors in the Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl to be played on the December 24th at Aloha Stadium. The flight, NWA9980, originated in PHX (Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport,AZ), and arrived on yesterday. It's seen here taking a break on Hardstand 5.

Go Warriors!