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Northwest Orient Airlines

Early Jetliners to Florida

Northwest Orient Airlines An agreement in 1954 allowed Northwest Orient Airlines to serve Florida from Minneapolis/St. Paul by interchange with Eastern Air Lines at Chicago (Midway) and onward to Miami. They launched their own Florida routes in 1958 from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Chicago, Tampa and Miami. Atlanta became an intermediate stop in 1959. By January of 1960, they were operating Lockheed Electra propjet flights between Minneapolis/St. Paul, Milwaukee and Chicago (Midway) and Atlanta, Tampa/St. Petersburg and Miami.

Northwest Orient Airlines Northwest Orient Airlines began jet service to Florida in 1960 with new Douglas DC-8-30 jets. They were replaced by the slightly smaller Boeing 720-B's in 1961, which were more suited to the medium-haul routes to Florida. On February 12, 1963, flight 705, operated by a Boeing 720-B and heading to Chicago, crashed into the Everglades after departure from Miami due to extreme wind shear while passing through a storm system. All 35 passengers and 8 crew perished.


Sample one-way fares from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Tampa: First class (F)$110; Day coach (Y)$92; from Milwaukee to Miami: First class (F)$104; Day coach (Y)$86; All fares are in U.S. dollars.


Go to Northwest Orient Airlines timetables or select schedules by aircraft below:


B720 - Northwest Orient Airlines
Boeing 720 Northwest Orient Airlines
Series: B Engines: 4 x PW JT3D Thrust: 17000lb (7711kg) Wingspan: 130ft (40m) Length: 136ft (41m) Height: 41ft (12m) Passengers: 156 Max weight: 234000lb (106142kg) Range: 3680mi (5922km) Max cruise: 600mph (966kph)
Go to timetables for this aircraft.