Alaska Orders 105 737-10s and 5 787s to Build a Global Network

Alaska Airlines has placed the largest aircraft order in its history, committing to 110 new Boeing jets as it accelerates its transformation into a global carrier. The deal covers 105 Boeing 737-10s and five Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with rights for 35 additional 737-10s, extending deliveries through 2035. Coming as the group integrates Hawaiian Airlines, the order is designed to scale up Seattle as a long-haul gateway while strengthening Alaska’s domestic footprint.

Alaska’s largest-ever Boeing order in one snapshot

The order is different from prior ones by Alaska Airlines. This time the 110 Boeing planes ordered also include wide body planes. Looking at the order breakdown Alaska placed firm orders for:

• 105 Boeing 737 MAX 10
• 5 Boeing 787s

Additionally the order also includes 35 options for more Boeing 737 MAX 10s. With this new order Alaska Airlines now has a massive 245 aircraft backlog with Boeing, with deliveries that will extend to 2035.

Why this is a “go global” move, not just a fleet refresh

Two aspects make this order different from prior ones:

• Scale of the order, which is much larger than ever before
• Presence of wide body aircraft, which Alaska had never ordered before

For these two reasons this new Alaska Airlines aircraft order feels much more like a “go global” move.

Taking delivery of up to 140 planes will increase the carrier’s scale on the domestic market, challenging the big 4 much more than it currently does. Also, they should ensure more feeding traffic onto the airline’s long haul services operated on the Boeing 787s and on Hawaiian A330s flying out of Seattle.

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The 787s are the real headline: long-haul scale from Seattle

Despite making up less than 5% of the aircraft ordered, the 787 gives us the biggest talking point. Alaska Airlines, so far, had stuck to operating single-aisle aircraft. However this strategy has shifted following the Hawaiian Airlines takeover.

The Alaska Air Group as a whole has been expanding internationally with Seattle the center of all long haul operations. This first Alaska Airlines Boeing 787 order will eventually bring the airline’s fleet to 17 units, which will allow to reach scale necessary to move the needle.

Seattle will see more flights launch in coming years as Alaska Airlines will need to become a leading force on its home turf before expanding elsewhere.

Alaska says the intention is for these five Dreamliners to be delivered as the Boeing 787-10 variant. If that plan holds, it underlines that the widebodies are being positioned as high-capacity long-haul workhorses to help scale up Seattle’s Europe and Asia flying.

New Alaska global livery: what it signals (and what it doesn’t)

The new Boeing 787s will come with a totally redesigned livery, as I had covered in this post. The livery is a clever idea to make the brand softer on travelers outside the US who are unfamiliar with Alaska Airlines and its heritage.

The livery takes inspiration from the colors of the northern lights. A feature of the scenery in Alaska, carrier’s home.

A livery doesn’t prepare the entire airline for long haul flights and operating them at scale.

Seattle as the global gateway: Europe and Asia routes already on sale

This all confirms that Alaska Airlines has some big ambitions for its Seattle hub. 2026 is the year the airline is making an entrance on the long haul flight segment. Tickets for its first services are already on sale with soon to commence flights from Seattle to:

• London Heathrow (LHR): daily, year-round from May 21, 2026
• Rome Fiumicino (FCO): daily, summer seasonal from April 28, 2026
• Reykjavik (KEF): daily, summer seasonal from May 28, 2026 (operated with a Boeing 737-8)

The latter of which operated on a Boeing 737 MAX 8. Also already operational is the carrier’s flights to Tokyo and Seoul on Hawaiian Airlines planes.

Alaska won’t be growing in a vacuum. Seattle is a competitive battleground, and Delta has also announced nonstop Seattle-Rome, scheduled to begin May 6, 2026. That dynamic is exactly why Alaska needs both domestic feed and enough widebody scale to defend its long-haul push.

The 737-10 order: domestic footprint, unit costs, and replacement needs

Ordering up to 140 Boeing 737s wasn’t a vanity move. Alaska Airlines needs to increase its domestic scale but also needs to plan its fleet modernization.

There still are a substantial number of 737 NG flying for the airline:

• 60 Boeing 737-800
• 11 Boeing 737-700

The 737-800s are closing in on their 20 years of age, while the Boeing 737-700 are even older, with most of them around 26 years old. They will need to be replaced soon.

Fleet math: ramping up to 475+ aircraft by 2030 and 550+ by 2035

The size of the Alaska Airlines ambitions can be also measured in how it plans to expand its fleet.

By 2030 the airline plans to have a fleet of 475 aircraft with it further growing to 550 by 2035. That would bring closer to the scale of the fourth largest US carrier, Southwest Airlines, which is also considering a long haul expansion.

The two big variables: 737-10 timing and long-haul execution risk

Now the plan is very clear, however, there are two areas that can put it at risk. One of which is in Alaska Airlines’ control, while the other isn’t.

The certification and delivery timeline of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 is still blurry. That casts some uncertainty whether Alaska can rely on having the aircraft when it forecasts or not. In turn that can mean meeting or failing to reach expected goals or having to fall back on a smaller 737 MAX aircraft.

This too would be an issue as the Boeing 737 MAX 10 was chosen for its low unit costs with one of the largest passenger cabins on a narrow body plane in across the industry.

The other uncertainty in the plan is how will the Alaska Air Group adjust to operating long haul flights at scale. This is uncharted waters for the carrier. A challenge that comes with all new challenges Alaska Airlines has never had to face operating only domestic and narrow body planes.

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