Alaska Airlines is preparing to launch its first European route next year. To do this, we know they’ll be assuming the first (former) Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 787-9 delivery, which is expected to occur in 2026. However, the existing order of 12 frames is insufficient to fuel their ambitions. As such, Alaska Air orders more Dreamliners and converts some Boeing 737 MAX commitments into firm orders.
As we all know, Alaska Airlines aims to operate 12 international flights by 2030. The first two of these – Tokyo Narita and Seoul – are already in service or will begin soon. The third, we know, is to Rome, which will also see the first international deployment of an Alaska Air Group Boeing 787-9. These birds are, eventually, to become the entirety of the Alaska Air Group’s international fleet out of Seattle. But with only 12 787s on order, including those that have already been delivered, there simply isn’t enough metal carbon fiber to go around. Hence, the latest news.
Alaska Air Orders More Dreamliners
It’s only natural that Alaska Air orders more Dreamliners, especially given its aggressive growth plans. Twelve frames are not sufficient to operate 12 international routes, especially when you account for downtime for maintenance, spares, and scheduling, which can sometimes require two planes to operate a single route. To remedy this shortage, Alaska Air Group has converted five of Hawaiian’s remaining options into firm orders, bringing the total to 17 Dreamliners, and leaving three options open.
In addition to news that Alaska Air orders more Dreamliners, we also learned that it has exercised 12 outstanding options for the yet-to-be-certified Boeing 737 MAX 10. Alaska Air has undoubtedly secured a fantastic deal to commit to an airliner that has had a dubious existence thus far, especially given the continued uncertainty surrounding certification timelines. Deep discounts, commonality, and (theoretically) better delivery slots aside, the 737 MAX 10 provides no advantages to operators when compared to the already in-service Airbus A321XLR. In fact, since Alaska Air Group is now an A321neo operator through Hawaiian, I think an A321XLR order would be a logical choice. The A321XLR would help with the severe weight restrictions Hawaiian’s HNL-SLC flight experiences.
787 Basing
In addition to news that Alaska Air orders more Dreamliners, we also received word that Alaska Air Group is preparing to base 787s in Seattle. According to the AFA, Alaska Air Group has announced plans to establish Hawaiian Airlines’ 787 Pilot and Flight Attendant bases in Seattle by early 2026. Yep. You read that right. Although Alaska Air stated that it would operate the upcoming Rome route, it appears that Hawaiian Air will actually operate it, at least initially. This is due to the terms of the Merger Transition Protocol Letter of Agreement, which protects existing aircraft and aircraft orders for each pre-merger airline until the seniority lists of both airlines are combined.
This also means that enough Hawaiian Air crews will need to be willing to relocate to Seattle (or commute from Honolulu) to ensure Alaska Air’s initial 787 service is successful. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out, as much of Hawaiian’s staff are locals who wanted to work for Hawaiian so they didn’t have to relocate away from the islands.
At any rate, this also brings up other questions regarding the upcoming Rome service. As I previously reported, N784HA will be the final Dreamliner delivered in Hawaiian’s configuration and is scheduled to arrive late this year or in early 2026. That places the projected delivery of the “first Alaska 787” to some time in the second half of 2026, which won’t be soon enough for the Rome flights. Moreover, we know that 787s will be taken off the HNL-LAX routes this September to serve HNL-SEA and SEA-ICN.
This is all to say that I believe that SEA-FCO will initially be a Hawaiian flight. However, as soon as possible, this will change to an Alaska flight, and the Hawaiian 787 bases in Seattle will eventually transition to Alaska’s. I’m sure Hawaiian employees who choose to transfer to these bases will have the option to remain there or transfer back to Honolulu, provided there are openings. Remember, Sprague has already stated that ALL 787s will eventually be transferred and rebranded to Alaska Air.
Alaska Air Orders More Dreamliners, Final Thoughts
While it was inevitable that Alaska Air orders more Dreamliners, I had hoped that the order would have included enough to at least allow Hawaiian a few to operate HNL-JFK, HNL-SYD, and HNL-BOS, which are the longest flights operated by the airline. Alas, it’s not to be. At least, not right now. But I also get it. Having a few 787s at Hawaiian isn’t all that efficient. Plus, I guess, Alaska Air can still claim to be “Proudly All Boeing,” while Hawaiian will, it seems, remain a primarily Airbus operator.
I just hope the new A330 interiors at least take inspiration from the incredible 787 interiors. Still, while the A330s are still young, I hope Hawaiian eventually gets newer jets, whether they be A330neos or A350s.
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