Exhibit 12.1

NORTHWEST AIRLINES CORPORATION        COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES        (Dollars in millions)

|                                                |                                              | Three months ended
March 31 |     
|----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- | ----
|
|Earnings:                                       |                                              |                             |     
|Income (loss) before income taxes               |                                              | $                           | (273
|Less: Income from less than 50% owned investees |                                              |                             | 4   
|Add:                                            |                                              |                             |     
|                                                | Rent expense representative of interest (1)  |                             |     
|                                                | Interest expense net of capitalized interest |                             |     
|                                                | Interest of preferred security holder        |                             |     
|                                                | Amortization of debt discount and expense    |                             |     
|                                                | Amortization of interest capitalized         |                             |     
|                                                |                                              |                             |     
|                                                | Adjusted earnings                            |                             | $   
|                                                |                                              |                             |     
|Fixed charges:                                  |                                              |                             |     
|Rent expense representative of interest (1)     |                                              | $                           | 58  
|Interest expense net of capitalized interest    |                                              |                             | 72  
|Interest of preferred security holder           |                                              |                             | 6   
|Amortization of debt discount                   |                                              |                             | 2   
|Capitalized interest                            |                                              |                             | 8   
|                                                |                                              |                             |     
|                                                | Fixed charges                                |                             | $   
|                                                |                                              |                             |     
|Ratio of earnings to fixed charges              |                                              |                             |    
|                                                |                                              |                             |     

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