Exhibit 12.1

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

|                                                             |                                                              | Three months ended
September 30 |      | Nine months ended
September 30
|------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------- | ---- | ------------------------------
|
|Earnings:                                                    |                                                              |                                 |      |                               
|Income before income taxes                                   |                                                              | $                               | 25   |                               
|Less: Income from less than 50%
    owned investees          |                                                              |                                 | 8    |                               
|Add:                                                         |                                                              |                                 |      |                               
|                                                             | Rent expense representative of interest (1)                  |                                 |      | 60                            
|                                                             | Interest expense net of capitalized interest                 |                                 |      | 87                            
|                                                             | Interest of mandatorily redeemable preferred security holder |                                 |      | 6                             
|                                                             | Amortization of debt discount and expense                    |                                 |      | 2                             
|                                                             | Amortization of interest capitalized                         |                                 |      | 1                             
|                                                             |                                                              |                                 |      |                               
|                                                             | Adjusted earnings                                            |                                 | $    | 173                           
|                                                             |                                                              |                                 |      |                               
|Fixed charges:                                               |                                                              |                                 |      |                               
|Rent expense representative of interest (1)                  |                                                              | $                               | 60   |                               
|Interest expense net of capitalized interest                 |                                                              |                                 | 87   |                               
|Interest of mandatorily redeemable preferred security holder |                                                              |                                 | 6    |                               
|Amortization of debt discount and expense                    |                                                              |                                 | 2    |                               
|Capitalized interest                                         |                                                              |                                 | 6    |                               
|                                                             |                                                              |                                 |      |                               
|                                                             | Fixed charges                                                |                                 | $    | 161                           
|                                                             |                                                              |                                 |      |                               
|Ratio of earnings to fixed charges                           |                                                              |                                 | 1.07 |                               
|                                                             |                                                              |                                 |      |                               

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