NWA flights returning to normal after computer glitch

Northwest Airlines Corp. said its computer system was operating normally again by Wednesday afternoon and the airline was able to operate a full schedule.

Northwest said 277 of its 1,373 flights on Wednesday were delayed an average of 12 minutes before technicians fixed the system. On Tuesday, about 285 departures were delayed an average of 21 minutes as result of the computer problem, spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch said.

Backup systems were used while technicians worked on the problem.

Ebenhoch said Detroit was the most seriously affected of its three U.S. hubs. Minneapolis-St. Paul and Memphis, Tenn., experienced fewer delays. The departure delays included international flights.

Northwest Airlink flights operated by Pinnacle and Mesaba also were affected, Ebenhoch said, but no flights were canceled Wednesday.

Northwest did not accept unaccompanied minors or pets connecting through its Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul or Memphis hubs on Wednesday flights, and didn't accommodate unaccompanied minors on flights originating in Detroit. The airline said pets and minors would be able to fly on Thursday.

The problem began Tuesday afternoon and was centered in a computer system that enables communication between the Worldspan global distribution system and some Northwest airport computer systems, Northwest said.

The system began gradually returning to normal about 45 minutes later, Ebenhoch said.

Northwest encouraged customers to check in and obtain their boarding passes over the Internet and check their flight status online as the problem was being fixed.

The airline issued a waiver allowing customers to change their travel plans without penalty. Customers with confirmed tickets for travel scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday may reschedule their travel to begin on or before August 1 without penalty or administrative fees.

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Northwest Airlines: http://www.nwa.com/