SEATTLE- Alaska Airlines (AS) preponed inauguration of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 (737-8) with a flight from Seattle (SEA) to Los Angeles (LAX).
The Seattle Tacoma-based carrier took delivery of 737-8 on Dec 27, 2023, as per the ch-aviation fleet data. Subsequently, it planned its launch flight on June 13, 2024, by deploying it on the Anchorage-New York JFK route.
Alaska Airlines First 737 MAX 8 Flight
The reason for preponing is not hidden from anyone and is due to the grounding of 737 MAX 9 amid an emergency door blowout incident on its AS1282 flight on Jan 5, 2024.
The Alaska Airlines first 737-8 took off from Seattle at 8:22 PM UTC (12:22 PM local time) and is halfway from reaching LAX at the time of writing. The flight is expected to land at LAX at around 10:28 PM UTC (2:28 PM PST).
According to Flight Radar 24 data, the aircraft has the registration N801AK and is Just one month old. Further, the aircraft is powered by state-of-the-art fuel-efficient CFM LEAP-1B engines.
As per the ch-aviation advance fleet analysis, there are a total of 159 seats, including 117 Economy (Y), 30 Economy Plus/Comfort (YP), and the remaining 12 are Business (C) class seats.
This is the developing story, and we are waiting for an official press release to add CEO remarks and other important information. Furthermore, you can track the flight here: Alaska Airlines flight AS1220 – Flightradar24
AS Boeing Order
“We take pride in operating the most recently manufactured fleet among all U.S. airlines. From 2024 to 2027, we are set to incorporate 15-25 new Boeing aircraft annually. Currently, we have confirmed orders for an additional 80 737 MAX aircraft, along with options and purchase rights for an additional 105. Our initial 737-10 is slated for delivery in 2025,” the airline shared in a Press statement at the time of delivery.
In March 2022, Alaska modified its current order for 737-9 aircraft with Boeing to incorporate the larger 737-10 and the extended-range 737-8.
The inclusion of these additional 737 models aims to improve profitability and enhance guest satisfaction by providing Alaska Airlines with increased flexibility in deploying the optimal aircraft size and capability for each market they serve.
Alaska is set to receive an additional seven 737-8s in 2024, with the next four expected to join the fleet in March. The 737-8, -9, and -10 models share a common cockpit, engines, and similar components.
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