Alaska Airlines has confirmed a suite of purchases from Boeing that represent the biggest order in the airline’s history. The new planes will help North America’s fifth-largest airline achieve strategic goals such as expanding its route offering with fuel-efficient craft as it targets fourth place in the market after a merger with Hawaiian Airlines.
By ordering now, Alaska said in a press release it had secured “critical delivery slots” through to 2035. The contract is for five 787 widebody aircraft and 105 737-10s, with “an option for 35 additional 737-10 aircraft within the same timeframe.”
Flyers will also see the “first of their kind 787 widebody aircraft in the new Alaska global livery” welcomed into the fleet and operating across Europe and Asia, the airline said. It celebrated the new look at a 7 January event for staff, press, and customers, showing off the livery, which is inspired by the “natural wonder of the Aurora Borealis, featuring a palette of deep midnight blues and lush emerald greens that channel the aurora’s energy and spirit of the Alaska brand.” Artists used a new aircraft painting technique and took nearly 1000 hours across 13 days to paint the aircraft exterior from nose to tail.
The investment further develops “the strong foundation Alaska has created to support steady, scalable and sustained growth, and is another building block in executing our Alaska Accelerate strategic plan,” said Alaska Air Group CEO, Ben Minicucci, adding: “We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Boeing, a Pacific Northwest neighbor and a company that stands as a symbol of American innovation and manufacturing.”
Bringing Alaska’s total orderbook with Boeing to 245 aircraft, in addition to the 94 MAX aircraft operating today, the mix of growth and replacement aircraft “will keep Alaska’s fleet one of the youngest in the industry and the most fuel efficient for any premium, global airline,” the firm said, explaining that the 737-10s would complement their existing narrowbody fleet of 737-8s and 737-9s, but it did not rule out the possibility of adjusting to a different model “if necessary.”
As for the 787s, the order will eventually increase Alaska’s widebody fleet to 17, with five already in operation across the network. The intention is for the additional five 787s to be delivered “as the -10 variant,” the carrier said. The widebody fleet expansion will allow the airline to fly to at least 12 long-haul international destinations from Seattle by 2030.
