Dawgs or Cougs? Horizon Air unveils new aircraft designs before 2022 Apple Cup

November 22, 2022
Alaska Airlines
3 min read

The Huskies of the University of Washington (UW) are taking on the Cougars of Washington State University (WSU) in their annual rivalry football game – the Apple Cup – and we couldn’t resist getting in on the competitive fun.

While the two universities have graced the outside of Horizon Q400 aircraft, the airline is moving to a fleet solely of modern Embraer E-175 jets, which means the original UW and WSU painted planes will soon be retired. The good news is we’re bringing two brand new aircraft into our fleet with fresh paint highlighting our commitment to our home state’s largest universities.

As the football teams prepare to take the field, get a sneak peek of the new aircraft coming in the summer of 2023.

Which tail are you most excited to see flying around the Northwest?

Our commitment to education

We became the University of Washington’s official airline partner in 2016, and we have worked together through partnership with UW Athletics, the Foster School of Business and other campus initiatives. Over half of our investment with the university goes directly to student-athlete scholarships and welfare – reinforcing our goal of supporting education in the communities we serve. We’re also proud to watch the Huskies take on opponents on the Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium and in the Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

Over the past 12 years, we’ve partnered with Washington State University on several initiatives to advance the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – a key part of our goal to be carbon net zero by 2040. Beginning in 2015, we partnered with WSU-led Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) on the production and use of SAF made from forest residuals (tree limbs and branches that remain after a forest harvest). In 2016, we made history as the first airline to fly a commercial flight powered by this type of SAF. This year, WSU was named the academic partner as part of Alaska’s new corporate SAF program, with the goal to help expand the education and awareness on opportunities to improve the sustainability of business travel.

A new era of aircraft

Some of the communities we serve in the Pacific Northwest will be experiencing the benefits of Horizon’s new E-175s for the first time this winter. We love the jet and its range of benefits, and we know our guests will too: