Boeing and Alaska Airlines have announced the largest aircraft order in the airline’s history, supporting Alaska Airlines’ long-term strategy to expand both its domestic and international route networks. The order comprises 105 Boeing 737-10 aircraft, with options for a further 35 of the largest variant of the 737 MAX family, which will be deployed on high-density routes and to support the renewal of the airline’s existing fleet. In addition, the agreement includes five Boeing 787 wide-body aircraft, enabling Alaska Airlines to expand its long-haul services to and from Europe and Asia.
The 737-10 will support the renewal and expansion of Alaska Airlines’ single-aisle fleet, enabling network growth while delivering industry-leading cost efficiency. In parallel, the 787 Dreamliner order underpins the airline’s long-haul ambitions, providing the range, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort required to expand its international network.
“This fleet investment builds on 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,” explained Alaska Air Group CEO and President Ben Minicucci. “These planes will fuel our expansion to more destinations across the globe and ensure our guests travel aboard the newest, most fuel-efficient and state-of-the-art aircraft.
This order marks the start of the 60th year of partnership between the two companies, which began with Boeing’s delivery of a 727 to Alaska Airlines. The airline currently operates 248 Boeing 737 aircraft and has a further 174 737 MAX jets on order. The addition of the 737-10 will enhance network and fleet flexibility while preserving fleet commonality, complementing Alaska Airlines’ existing Next-Generation 737 and 737 MAX aircraft.
