NORTHWEST TO FLY MADISON – WASHINGTON NONSTOP

March 02, 2005
Lesley Sillaman, 267-8823
County Executive

MADISON, Wis. – (March 2, 2005) – Northwest Airlines today announced that it will begin offering the only nonstop service between Madison’s Dane County Regional Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, beginning June 9, 2005. “Northwest is proud to build on its tradition of connecting Dane County travelers to the world with Madison’s only nonstop service to Washington,” said Robert Isom, senior vice president of customer service at Northwest Airlines, at a news conference announcing the new service. “Connecting the nation’s capital to the capital of Wisconsin, a key market for Northwest, is yet another example of our commitment to our many loyal customers in the Heartland of America.” In addition to being Wisconsin’s largest airline, Northwest is also Madison’s largest airline, offering more seats and flying more passengers than any other carrier. Northwest provides service from Madison to all three of its domestic hubs, where travelers can easily connect to hundreds of destinations throughout the U.S. and the world. Northwest is also Madison’s longest-serving airline, initiating service to Madison in 1927, its very first year of passenger operations. "Northwest responded to our need for a nonstop flight from Madison to Washington, DC. This is a fabulous new service for both business travelers and tourists alike,” said Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. Northwest is the only airline to provide daily flights from Madison aboard larger “mainline” jet aircraft, which feature 16-seat first class cabins, large overhead bins and additional cargo capacity. Northwest currently offers 13 flights from Madison, including five to its Detroit WorldGateway hub, seven to its hub at Minneapolis/St. Paul and one to its Memphis hub. The new flight will be operated by Northwest Airlink partner Pinnacle Airlines with a Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ), accommodating up to 50 passengers. Customers currently holding tickets for travel June 9 or beyond on connecting itineraries from Madison to Washington will be able to change to Northwest's new nonstop service without paying an administrative change fee, provided changes are made by March 31, 2005. NORTHWEST SERVES MORE OF WISCONSIN Northwest and its Northwest Airlink partners carry more Wisconsin travelers than any other airline. The airline serves a total of eight cities, more than any other carrier, including Appleton, Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Rhinelander and Wausau. Northwest is the number one airline in seven of those eight cities and is the only airline to offer local travelers daily, larger “mainline” jet aircraft service from Green Bay, La Crosse and Madison. NORTHWEST CONNECTS THE HEARTLAND TO WASHINGTON D.C. Northwest offers 27 flights from Washington Reagan National Airport to a total of seven nonstop destinations including Des Moines, Iowa, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Mich. (beginning May 2), Indianapolis, Memphis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Northwest’s new Madison-Washington service will be available for sale beginning Saturday, March 5 via the Internet at www.nwa.com, by telephone at Northwest Airlines Reservations at 1-800-225-2525 or through travel agencies. New Madison – Washington Service Flight number: Departs: Arrives: NW 4740 2:05 p.m. 5:20 p.m. New Washington – Madison Service Flight number: Departs: Arrives: NW 4741 12:05 p.m. 1:25 p.m. Northwest Airlines is the world’s fourth largest airline with hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam, and approximately 1,500 daily departures. Northwest is a member of SkyTeam, an airline alliance that offers customers one of the world’s most extensive global networks. Northwest and its travel partners serve more than 900 cities in excess of 160 countries on six continents. A 2004 J.D. Power and Associates study of airports ranked Minneapolis/St. Paul, one of Northwest’s largest hubs, fourth among large domestic airports in overall customer satisfaction. ###