**Exhibit 12.1**

 

**NORTHWESTAIRLINES CORPORATION**

**COMPUTATIONOF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES**

**(Dollars inmillions)**

 
| ** **                                                    | ** ** | **Three months ended  June 30** | ** ** | **Six months ended  June 30** | ** ** |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|------------|---------------------------------|------------|-------------------------------|------------|
| ** **                                                    | ** ** | **2004**                        | ** ** | **2003**                      | ** ** | **2004** | ** ** | **2003** | ** ** |
| **Earnings:**                                                 |       |                            |       |                          |       |   |   |   |   |
|                                                          |       |                            |       |                          |       |   |   |   |   |
| Income (loss) before income taxes                             |       | $                               | (175       | )                             | $          | 227 |   | $ | (398 | ) | $ | (199 | ) |
| Income from less than 50% owned investees                     |       | (1                              | )          | (5                            | )          | (2 | ) | (14 | ) |
| Rent expense representative of interest (1)                   |       | 63                              |       | 63                            |       | 125 |   | 126 |   |
| Interest expense net of capitalized  interest                 |       | 118                             |       | 108                           |       | 242 |   | 213 |   |
| Interest of mandatorily redeemable  preferred security holder |       | —                          |       | 6                             |       | — |   | 12 |   |
| Amortization of debt discount and expense                     |       | 7                               |       | 6                             |       | 15 |   | 11 |   |
| Amortization of interest capitalized                          |       | 2                               |       | 2                             |       | 4 |   | 5 |   |
|                                                          |       |                            |       |                          |       |   |   |   |   |
| **Adjusted earnings**                                         |       | $                               | 14         |                          | $          | 407 |   | $ | (14 | ) | $ | 154 |   |
|                                                          |       |                            |       |                          |       |   |   |   |   |
| **Fixed charges:**                                            |       |                            |       |                          |       |   |   |   |   |
|                                                          |       |                            |       |                          |       |   |   |   |   |
| Rent expense representative of interest (1)                   |       | $                               | 63         |                          | $          | 63 |   | $ | 125 |   | $ | 126 |   |
| Interest expense net of capitalized  interest                 |       | 118                             |       | 108                           |       | 242 |   | 213 |   |
| Interest of mandatorily redeemable preferred  security holder |       | —                          |       | 6                             |       | — |   | 12 |   |
| Amortization of debt discount and expense                     |       | 7                               |       | 6                             |       | 15 |   | 11 |   |
| Capitalized interest                                          |       | 2                               |       | 2                             |       | 4 |   | 5 |   |
|                                                          |       |                            |       |                          |       |   |   |   |   |
| **Fixed charges**                                             |       | $                               | 190        |                          | $          | 185 |   | $ | 386 |   | $ | 367 |   |
|                                                          |       |                            |       |                          |       |   |   |   |   |
| **Ratio of earnings to fixed charges**                        |       | —                          | (3)        | 2.19                          |       | — | (3) | — | (2) |

 

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(1)          Calculatedas one-third of rentals, which is considered representative of the interestfactor.

 

(2)          Earningswere inadequate to cover fixed charges by $213 million for the six months endedJune 30, 2003.

 

(3)          Earningswere inadequate to cover fixed charges by $176 million and $400 million for thethree and six months ended June 30, 2004, respectively.

 

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