Highlight
1955 - Northwest voluntarily becomes the first airline to operate without government subsidy on transpacific and United States—Alaska routes.
1950
July 25: Hostilities in Korea force suspension of commercial service to Seoul; Northwest is selected by the U.S. government as prime contractor for the Korean air lift.
Service expands to Edmonton, Alberta, and Taipei, Taiwan.
1951
March 19: Service to Hong Kong begins via connecting service with Hong Kong Airways.
1952
Wisconsin Central Airlines moves its headquarters to Minneapolis/St. Paul and is renamed North Central Airlines.
1954
September 27: Donald W. Nyrop becomes president.
Hal Carr, a vice president of Wisconsin Central from 1947 until 1952, returns to North Central as President and General Manager. He will lead North Central and Republic as Chairman until his retirement in 1984.
Service expands to Miami through interchange flights with Eastern Airlines.
The four-engine Douglas DC-6 joins the fleet.
1955
January 1: Northwest voluntarily becomes the first airline to operate without government subsidy on transpacific and United States—Alaska routes.
Northwest flies its first Lockheed L-1049 Constellation.
1956
January 1: Northwest leases Shemya Island in the Aleutian chain from the U.S. government for use as a fuel stop on the North Pacific route, thus becoming the first airline to operate its own airport.
Northwest announces it will centralize operations at a new $17.5 million base at Minneapolis/St. Paul's Wold-Chamberlain Field (formerly Speedway Flying Field, site of the airline's original base of operations in 1926).
1957
First Class "Imperial Service" is introduced.
Clear air turbulence forecasting is pioneered by NWA.
The Douglas DC7-C is added to the Northwest fleet, the first Northwest aircraft capable of cruise speeds faster than 300 miles per hour.
1958
December 6: Florida service is launched. Chicago—Miami route is approved (nonstop or via Atlanta and Tampa, Florida). Nonstop flights are later added from Twin Cities and Milwaukee.
1959
June 1: New York—Anchorage—Tokyo polar service is inaugurated.
Northwest enters the Jet Age with its first Lockheed L-188 Electra turbo-prop airliner.