Alaska Airlines is headed back to all-Boeing status as it continues to phase out the A320s it inherited in its merger with Virgin America, shifting its choices within the 737 MAX family to meet different needs.
Originally, Alaska’s order was for 145 737-9 planes, seating 178 in Alaska’s configuration; 14 of those are already in service. Alaska announced this week that it will shift 15 orders to the 162-seat 737-8, which has a longer range and will be used, starting next year, to push the last of the A320s out the door.
Another 60 orders are being shifted to the largest 737, the MAX 10, with 189 seats, a way to increase capacity on denser routes without flying more planes and keeping fuel costs low. The 737-10s will arrive in 2024. The airline is also doing a major cabin refurb on its 61 737-800s.
