Alaska Airlines will replace its Q400 turboprops with 737s on routes between Anchorage and Fairbanks and Anchorage and Deadhorse. That’s a return to the situation as it was three years ago.
The airline had shifted the routes to turboprops, and to its Horizon Air subsidiary, in hopes of saving money on operating costs and being able to make the trip more times a day. But the move proved unpopular from the beginning.
A big complaint from the beginning involved boarding; the Bombardier-built Q400s board through outdoor stairs, while the 737s used heated jetways. There were also complaints that the -40°F winter temperatures at the open door left the cabin cold for the whole flight.
Replacing the 76-seat turboprops with 144-seat jets will likely result in fewer daily flights.
Apparently, the expected savings proved illusory, and an airline VP reported that the route “has struggled to operate cost-effectively in such a remote environment.” The Q400s will be relocated to Horizon Air routes in the Lower 48, and employees will have the option to follow the planes.
