Alaska Airlines and beleaguered aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced the U.S. carrier's largest-ever airplane order on Wednesday.
The deal, which extends Alaska's delivery stream with its long-time partner through 2035, includes 105 Boeing 737-10 airplanes and options for 35 more of the largest 737 MAX variant, as well as five Boeing 787 widebody jets.
The fuel-efficient 737-10s will expand and replace Alaska's single-aisle fleet, allowing the airline to serve more passengers on more routes with the lowest cost per seat of any single-aisle airplane.
Meanwhile, the new 787 Dreamliners will allow the Seattle-based carrier to expand its long-haul operations to and from Asia and Europe.
"This fleet investment builds on the strong foundation Alaska has created to support steady, scalable and sustained growth, and is another building block in executing our Alaska Accelerate strategic plan," Alaska Air Group CEO and President Ben Minicucci said in a statement.
"These planes will fuel our expansion to more destinations across the globe and ensure our guests travel aboard the newest, most fuel-efficient and state-of-the-art aircraft. We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Boeing, a Pacific Northwest neighbor and a company that stands as a symbol of American innovation and manufacturing."
In her own statement, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stephanie Pope, said, "This is a historic airplane order underwritten by Alaska Airlines' record of strong performance and strategic expansion. All of us at Boeing are proud of Alaska's success and are honored they have placed their trust in our people and our 737 and 787 airplanes to help grow their airline."
Alaska currently has five 787 Dreamliners in service and operates 248 737 aircraft. Following this historic agreement, it has 174 737 MAX jets on order.
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