Alaska Airlines Orders 35 Boeing 737-800s

Alaska Airlines today announced an order for 35 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with an option to acquire up to 15 more. The order also includes purchase rights for an additional 50 737-800s.

The value of the firm order, based on the manufacturer’s list price, is about $2.3 billion.

"While we still have work to do on our operational performance, we are beginning to have visibility into a cost structure that will allow us to be profitable in this changed environment," Alaska’s CEO Bill Ayer said. "This order positions us for growth opportunities ahead."

Delivery of the 35 new aircraft will be phased over the next six years, with the first new airplane slated to enter Alaska’s fleet in January 2006. The delivery plan gives Alaska flexibility to expand its fleet by approximately 60 aircraft through 2011 or replace older airplanes with new aircraft without increasing fleet size. The order includes three 737-800s the airline already planned to acquire in 2006.

The 737-800 is a twin-jet, with future deliveries to be configured in two classes with a total of 157 seats and a third lavatory in the main cabin. Equipped with fuel-saving winglets, the aircraft will feature leather seats and roomier overhead storage bins.

"The 737-800 gives us the ability to fly additional transcontinental routes and increase our seat capacity to better accommodate growing passenger loads on the West Coast," said Gregg Saretsky, Alaska’s executive vice president of marketing and planning.

Alaska’s fleet currently includes 109 aircraft -12 737-900s, two 737-800s, 22 737-700s, 40 737-400s, seven 737-200Cs and 26 Boeing MD-80s.

Alaska and sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve more than 80 cities through an expansive network throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines newsroom on the Internet at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com/ .

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines