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                                                                    EXHIBIT 12.2

                         NORTHWEST AIRLINES CORPORATION
         COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED
                               STOCK REQUIREMENTS
                              (DOLLARS IN MILLIONS)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  THREE MONTHS ENDED               NINE MONTHS ENDED
                                                                     SEPTEMBER 30                    SEPTEMBER 30
                                                                2000              1999           2000             1999
                                                             ------------      -----------    -----------     -------------
EARNINGS:
<S>                                                          <C>               <C>            <C>             <C>
Income before income taxes                                   $       342       $      294     $      537      $        444
Less:  Income from less than 50%
          owned investees                                             49               23            106                58
Add:
     Rent expense representative of interest(1)                       59               50            170               147
     Interest expense net of capitalized interest                     77               87            241               264
     Interest of mandatorily redeemable
        preferred security holder                                      8                7             22                20
     Amortization of debt discount and expense                         3                4              8                11
     Amortization of interest capitalized                              1                1              3                 3
                                                             ------------      -----------    -----------     -------------

     ADJUSTED EARNINGS                                       $       441       $      420     $      875      $        831
                                                             ============      ===========    ===========     =============

FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK REQUIREMENTS:

Rent expense representative of interest(1)                   $        59       $       50     $      170      $        147
Interest expense net of capitalized interest                          77               87            241               264
Interest of mandatorily redeemable
     preferred security holder                                         8                7             22                20
Preferred stock requirements                                          --               --              1                 1
Amortization of debt discount and expense                              3                4              8                11
Capitalized interest                                                   6                4             15                12
                                                             ------------      -----------    -----------     -------------

     FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED
        STOCK REQUIREMENTS                                   $       153       $      152     $      457      $        455
                                                             ============      ===========    ===========     =============

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND
     PREFERRED STOCK REQUIREMENTS                                   2.88             2.76           1.91              1.83
                                                             ============      ===========    ===========     =============
</TABLE>

(1)  Calculated as one-third of rentals, which is considered representative of
     the interest factor.