NWA: No Cancellations Wednesday Related To Computer Glitch

Northwest Airlines said there are no cancellations on Wednesday after a computer problem led to delays and cancellations at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Tuesday.

A problem developed with the computer system that facilitates communications between the Worldspan global distribution system and some NWA airport systems at about 2:30 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, according to airline officials.

NWA apologized to customers for any inconvenience the issue has caused.

Airline officials released the following statement on Wednesday about the issue:

NORTHWEST AIRLINES STATEMENT – 10:50 a.m. (Central time), Wednesday, July 26, 2006 Northwest Operating a Full Schedule Wednesday, Some Flights Delayed

Northwest expects to operate its full schedule today (July 26). There have been no cancellations today related to a computer problem, but approximately 80 Northwest flights have been delayed an average of 20 minutes, as of 10:30 a.m. Central time. Northwest will not accommodate unaccompanied minors or pets connecting through its Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul or Memphis hubs on flights scheduled today. In addition, the airline will not accommodate unaccompanied minors originating in Detroit on today's flights.

Northwest apologizes to its customers for any inconvenience that this issue has caused, and thanks them for their extraordinary patience. The airline's information technology department continues to make progress in restoring the system to its normal operating level as quickly as possible. In the interim, redundant systems and manual back-up plans are being utilized to minimize the impact this is having on the airline's customers.

Northwest is encouraging its customers to check-in and obtain their boarding pass for their flight over the Internet at www.nwa.com. Northwest’s nwa.com Check-In service allows customers to check-in up to 24 hours prior to departure. The airline also urges its customers to check the status of their flight at www.nwa.com or through the airline's automated flight information telephone line at 1-800-441-1818, before departing for the airport.

The company is also allowing customers to change their travel plans without penalty. Customers with confirmed tickets for travel scheduled July 25 and 26, 2006, may reschedule their travel to commence on or before August 1, 2006, without penalty or administrative fees through Northwest's www.nwa.com Web site or its reservations call centers.

In the early afternoon of Tuesday, July 25, 2006, a problem developed with a computer system that facilitates communications between the Worldspan global distribution system (GDS) and some Northwest airport computer systems. By mid-afternoon, the system began gradually returning to normal levels, but at this time continues to operate at limited capacity. This caused delays averaging 21 minutes for approximately 285 of Northwest's 1,364 scheduled flights on Tuesday (July 25). Some Northwest Airlink flights were also delayed, and a small number were cancelled.

NWA officials urge customers to check the status of their flight at NWA.com or the flight information telephone line at 800-441-1818.