Economy

Alaska Airlines Places Record Order for More Than 100 Boeing Jets

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Jan 7, 2026

THE BARE STORY

Alaska Airlines announced on Wednesday its largest-ever aircraft order, agreeing to purchase more than 100 jets from Boeing. The deal consists of 105 Boeing 737 Max 10 jets and five 787-10 Dreamliners. According to the airline, 53 of the Max 10s are new orders while 52 are exercised options, and the Dreamliners are derived from previous purchase options. The agreement also secures options for an additional 35 737 Max 10 aircraft.

Shane Jones, the executive overseeing Alaska Airlines’ fleet, stated that the purchase secures delivery slots through the mid-2030s. He expressed confidence in Boeing’s ability to produce quality aircraft under CEO Kelly Ortberg and in the certification process for the 737 Max 10. The airline expects the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify the Max 10 this year, with deliveries scheduled to start in the first half of 2027.

The carrier intends to use the 787-10 Dreamliners to support international expansion to destinations such as Italy and South Korea. The higher-capacity Max 10s are aimed at improving unit costs on high-demand routes and increasing capacity at congested airports. Following its 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska plans to expand its total fleet from 413 aircraft to 550 by 2035. Jones noted that approximately half of the new planes will replace older models, while the remainder will facilitate growth.

This transaction marks the airline's first major Boeing order since a January 2024 mid-air incident involving a door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9. That event resulted in temporary groundings and intensified regulatory oversight of Boeing's production. Following the announcement of the new order, Boeing shares experienced a slight increase.

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• Reliance on pending certification The timeline for the new 737 Max 10 jets depends on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completing the certification process. Although the airline expects this approval to happen this year, deliveries of these specific aircraft are not scheduled to begin until the first half of 2027.

• Recent safety and oversight background This agreement represents the first major order placed by the airline since the January 2024 mid-air door plug blowout involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9. That specific event resulted in temporary groundings of the fleet and triggered intensified regulatory oversight regarding Boeing's production.

• Allocation for replacement rather than pure growth While the order is described as the airline's largest ever, executive Shane Jones noted that approximately half of the new planes will serve to replace older models. Consequently, only the remaining portion of the order will be dedicated to increasing the overall size of the fleet.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

Travelers may eventually access new international routes to destinations like Italy and South Korea as the airline integrates Boeing Dreamliners to support its expansion strategy.

Passengers flying through congested airports could see increased seat availability, as the carrier plans to deploy higher-capacity jets to handle high demand and improve unit costs.

You should not expect immediate changes to flight schedules, as deliveries are contingent on upcoming FAA certification and are not scheduled to begin until 2027.

The overall quality of the fleet available to the public will modernize through the mid-2030s, with half the new aircraft replacing older models rather than just adding volume.

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