Alaska makes massive Boeing bet with blockbuster 110-plane order

Zach Griff

1 day ago

ZACH GRIFF

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Alaska Airlines doesn’t want to be stuck waiting at the back of the line for new airplanes. And it’s willing to make a massive bet to avoid that outcome.

The Seattle-based carrier just placed its largest aircraft order ever with hometown manufacturer Boeing, locking in a long-term delivery pipeline that stretches well into the next decade.

Alaska’s 110 new Boeing jets

Alaska is ordering 105 Boeing 737 MAX 10s and five Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, with options for 35 additional MAX 10 jets.

Notably, the airline isn’t committing to a firm delivery timeline beyond 2030 to 2035 — a potentially prudent move given persistent aircraft delivery delays. Plus, the 737 MAX 10 hasn’t even been certified yet.

Alaska says the order extends its delivery stream through 2035, and it can always swap some of its orders for other MAX variants down the line.

The airline isn’t ready to share how it plans to configure or deploy the new jets, including details about the LOPA, or layout of passenger accommodations.

That said, it’s possible that Alaska installs a lie-flat business-class product on at least some of the MAX 10s, especially since the carrier has already committed to launching single-aisle flights from Seattle to Europe.

Alaska currently operates 413 aircraft and plans to grow its fleet to 475 by 2030 and more than 550 by 2035.

This deal represents Alaska’s largest-ever aircraft order and comes as Alaska Air Group pushes ahead with its Alaska Accelerate strategic plan following the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.

It’s also worth noting that the 787-10 order isn’t entirely new.

It represents a previously reported conversion of existing Dreamliner deliveries into the larger -10 variant. Once all deliveries are complete, Alaska’s Dreamliner fleet will consist of 12 Boeing 787-9s and five 787-10s.

Why Alaska is making this move

There are several strategic reasons behind Alaska’s blockbuster order.

For starters, it allows the airline to begin replacing some of its oldest Boeing 737s, possibly including the -700s, which were delivered between 1999 and 2001.

But aircraft ordering isn’t like buying a car. Airlines can’t simply place an order and walk out with a new plane (and a stack of papers longer than a CVS receipt) a few hours later.

Production slots are finite, and existing aircraft backlogs stretch years into the future.

By placing a massive order now, Alaska is effectively reserving its place in Boeing’s delivery queue. It may not need every jet immediately, but it also doesn’t want to be forced to wait when future growth opportunities materialize.

The Dreamliner addition plays a key role, too. The Boeing 787-10 will help Alaska deliver on its promise to serve at least 12 long-haul international destinations from Seattle by 2030.

Today, Alaska operates five Boeing 787-9s inherited through the Hawaiian Airlines merger. In total, the airline plans to fly 17 Dreamliners, including five -10s.

The 787-10 features a “stretched” fuselage that delivers strong per-seat economics, though it comes with less range than the smaller -9. As a result, the aircraft is best suited for high-capacity long-haul routes.

I’d expect the -10s to show up on routes like Seattle to London and Seattle to Tokyo. There’s also the possibility that these jets feature Alaska’s premium economy cabin — a product slated to launch on retrofitted Airbus A330s — though executives declined to comment on that detail.

What Alaska didn’t say

Despite the fleet overhaul, Alaska reiterated that it will maintain distinct brand identities for flights to, from, and within Hawaii, preserving the legacy Hawaiian Airlines look — including Pualani on the tail — across Airbus A321s, A330s, and Boeing 717s.

What the airline still hasn’t addressed is the future of the Boeing 717, which serves as the backbone of Hawaiian’s inter-island network and is now nearly 25 years old.

The airline, which has historically marketed itself as “proudly all-Boeing,” will continue to fly both Airbus and Boeing jets for the foreseeable future.

There’ve been rumblings that Alaska might be ready to jettison the Airbus A321s it inherited from Hawaiian (especially since the airline has just 18 of them in its fleet), but there’s been no official word one way or another yet.

Zach Griff Author

Zach Griff is a travel expert who’s covered airlines, loyalty programs, credit cards, and travel tech for nearly a decade. He’s visited 60+ countries and regularly shares his insights across Instagram, TikTok and X — and at From the Tray Table.