Now Reading
Alaska Airlines is Launching its First Long-Haul Flight On a Widebody Jet… This Will Be The Very Inaugural Destination

Alaska Airlines is Launching its First Long-Haul Flight On a Widebody Jet… This Will Be The Very Inaugural Destination

airplanes parked on a runway

Alaska Airlines will launch its first-ever long-haul flight on a widebody jet in May 2026 with the introduction of a non-stop between its Seattle home hub and the Italian capital, Rome.

The significant development in Alaska’s route network is part of the continuing integration of Hawaiian Airlines into the Alaska Airlines Group – a mammoth $1.9 billion merger that was cleared by the Department of Transportation (DOT) last September.

a large stone building with a fountain and people in front with Trevi Fountain in the background
Alaska Airlines’ new non-stop flight to Rome will be the only direct connection between Seattle and the Italian capital.

After the deal was approved, Alaska laid out its plans to turn Seattle Tacoma Airport into its new international long-haul hub, initially using widebody jets that already belonged to Hawaiian Airlines and still using the Hawaiian brand.

It was always understood, however, that the new airline group would also want to launch long-haul widebody flights under the Alaska Airlines brand, and on Tuesday, the carrier laid out the road map to this happening.

Alaska Airlines will acquire a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner belonging to Hawaiian Airlines and paint it in its own livery featuring the much-loved Eskimo character on the tailfin, which has adorned the carrier’s planes since the early 1970s.

The interior will also be rebranded to reflect what Alaska describes as a “new global experience” for its passengers, although, realistically, expect Alaska Airlines to keep the existing Hawaiian Airlines seating but with updated seat covers and mood lighting.

Alaska Airlines can still claim to be “Proudly All Boeing”

For years, Alaska Airlines has painted the words “Proudly all Boeing” just underneath the cockpit window of its Boeing 737 airplanes, signifying its commitment to another Seattle area aviation icon.

The ‘Proudly all Boeing’ does, however, sometimes take a little stretch of the imagination:

  • Alaska’s wholly owned regional subsidiary operates Brazilian-made Embraer aircraft.
  • Following Alaska’s acquisition of the now-defunct Virgin America, it operated Airbus A320 series aircraft for a while in Alaska branding.
  • The merger with Hawaiian Airlines brings Airbus A320 series and A330 widebody jets back into the combined fleet of the Alaska Airlines Group.

But by opting for the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for its widebody jet, Alaska can, at least, claim to be ‘Proudly all Boeing’ for its mainline branded Alaska Airlines flights.

the nose of an airplane

Tickets for Alaska’s first foray into long-haul widebody air travel are expected to go on sale later this year, with the airline hoping to launch the four-times-per-week non-stop service in May 2026.

“Serving Rome nonstop from Seattle is a dream come true,” commented Alaska Airlines Group CEO Ben Minicucci on Tuesday. “As an Italian American whose parents emigrated from Italy, this is a particularly meaningful addition to our network.”

Minicucci added: “Rome has been at the top of the list ever since we announced our new global gateway out of Seattle.”

The flight will depart Seattle at 6 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays and arrive in Rome at 1:45 pm the following day. The return flight is scheduled to depart Rome at 3:45 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and arrive in Seattle the same day at 6 pm.

Given that Alaska Airlines has never operated long-haul flights before, rather surprisingly, the carrier noted that Rome is “consistently” the one destination that is consistently most requested amongst its Mileage Plan frequent flyer club members.

Last month, Hawaiian Airlines launched a new non-stop flight from Seattle to Tokyo Narita, while flights from Seattle to Seoul operated by Hawaiian Airlines are expected to follow in September.

The Alaska Airlines Group is seeking a single operating license to operate both Alaska Airlines flights and Hawaiian Airlines flights, but the two separate brands will be retained.

As part of its strategic push into long-haul flying, the airline hired its first-ever International Development Director last year, who is a “subject matter expert and thought leader” in developing Alaska’s global growth.

View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

© 2024 paddleyourownkanoo.com All Rights Reserved.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to paddleyourownkanoo.com with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.