Albany, NY (January 21, 2004) - - - Rev. Michael A. Farano, Chairman of the Albany County Airport Authority today announced that Northwest Airlines will once again increase service at Albany International Airport. Beginning January 24th, Northwest will add a third daily non-stop flight between Albany and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

“Northwest’s service linking Albany and Minneapolis/St. Paul has been an overwhelming success,” said Rev. Farano. “Our travelers benefit from the ability to by-pass many busy hubs and the convenience of one-stop connections to the West Coast and beyond.”

Northwest began its Albany-Minneapolis/St.Paul service in October of 2002. Northwest added a second flight less than a year later on May 1, 2003.

The new flight that begins on January 24th will offer an early morning departure to Minneapolis/St. Paul. The flight will leave Albany International Airport at 8:20 a.m. and arrive at Minneapolis International Airport at 10:25 a.m. Business travelers will be able to return to Albany the same day on a 7:15 p.m. flight from Minneapolis/St. Paul that arrives in Albany at 10:58 p.m.

Nearly 1.5 million passengers flew out of Albany International Airport during 2003. Northwest Airlines and its commuter affiliate Pinnacle Airways served over 136,000 passengers (9.5%) at Albany International Airport during 2003, an increase of 20% over 2002.

In celebration of the new flight, radio station WGNA 107.7 FM, in cooperation with Northwest Airlines and the Mall of America, will sponsor a contest in which listeners can win $800 in Northwest Airlines ticket vouchers and an overnight stay at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. Details of the contest will be announced on February 2, on the Sean and Richie Show on WGNA.

In addition to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Northwest offers three daily non-stop flights to Detroit. 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. With its travel partners, Northwest serves nearly 750 cities in almost 120 countries on six continents.

-30-