Embraer has agreed to the sale of eight new E175 jets to SkyWest, Inc. for operation with Alaska Airlines, adding to the 32 SkyWest E175 jets SkyWest already flies for Alaska. The E175 aircraft will fly exclusively with Alaska Airlines under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA).
Alaska Airlines, a new member of the oneworld Alliance, currently has 62 Embraer E175 jets in their fleet, operated by Horizon Air and SkyWest Airlines. The 76-seat aircraft will be delivered in Alaska’s livery and three-class configuration, starting in 2022.
With recovery on the horizon, Alaska Airlines is taking advantage of strategic opportunities by adding 30 mainline and regional aircraft to fulfill capacity needs in the years ahead. And as more travelers search for additional leisure getaways, Alaska will begin flying to Belize City, Belize.
Growing the Alaska Air Group fleet
Alaska expects domestic travel to return to pre-COVID levels by the summer of 2022, which will require more aircraft across Air Group. To prime the airline for growth, Alaska is taking the following actions:
Adding 17 new Embraer 175 jets to the regional fleet in 2022 and 2023 – nine to be operated by Horizon Air and eight by SkyWest.
Exercising options for 13 Boeing 737-9 MAX deliveries in 2023 and 2024.
The 17 regional aircraft additions grow Air Group’s regional fleet to 111 planes: 71 at Horizon and 40 with SkyWest. Horizon will receive its nine additional E175s in the next two years: five scheduled for delivery in 2022 and four in 2023. This is in addition to three existing firm E175 orders to be operated by Horizon. All eight SkyWest aircraft will enter service for Alaska in 2022.
Photo: Alaska Airlines. In order to fly the 737-9, pilots are required to take eight hours of flight simulator and computer-based training that focus on the operation of the MAX. The pilot training program for the MAX is more extensive than what’s required by the FAA.
Alaska announced a restructured agreement with Boeing in December 2020 to acquire 68 737-9 MAX aircraft between 2021 to 2024, with options for another 52 deliveries between 2023 and 2026. The airline will accept the first 13 options over two years: nine in 2023 and four in 2024.
Alaska adds Belize to its international destinations
Alaska also announced today new nonstop service to Belize City, Belize, in Central America from the West Coast. Belize will be the fourth country Alaska flies to from its West Coast hubs, joining Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.
You better BELIZE it! We're launching new service to Belize later this year. To celebrate, we're sending you & a friend to this paradise. ✈️ 🌴 Reply w/ hashtag #BelizePlease, tag a friend & tell us why Belize is on YOUR bucket list by 11:59pm PT on 5/14. https://t.co/LmWUYINCX7pic.twitter.com/UMhpVm8zg6
Alaska Airlines has reaffirmed its commitment to the West Coast with new, nonstop service from the Pacific Northwest and the state of Alaska in the north, and from San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego in the south.
Starting in early January, guests will be able to travel eight new routes:
Spokane to Los Angeles (two daily departures)
Spokane to San Francisco (two daily departures)
Redmond / Bend, Oregon to Los Angeles
Redmond / Bend, Oregon to San Diego
Redmond / Bend, Oregon to San Francisco
Boise to Los Angeles (two daily departures)
Missoula, Montana to Los Angeles
Anchorage to San Francisco
New Spokane service:
Start Date
Destination
Departs
Arrives
Frequency
Aircraft
Jan. 7
Spokane-Los Angeles
7:00 a.m.
9:40 a.m.
Daily
E175
Jan. 7
Spokane-Los Angeles
4:40 p.m.
7:20 p.m.
Daily
E175
Jan. 7
Los Angeles-Spokane
9:30 a.m.
12:10 p.m.
Daily
E175
Jan. 7
Los Angeles-Spokane
8:05 p.m.
10:45 p.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
Spokane-San Francisco
7:00 a.m.
9:28 a.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
Spokane-San Francisco
4:20 p.m.
5:49 p.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
San Francisco-Spokane
9:00 a.m.
11:12 a.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
San Francisco-Spokane
7:35 p.m.
9:47 p.m.
Daily
E175
New Redmond / Bend service:
Start Date
Destination
Departs
Arrives
Frequency
Aircraft
Jan. 7
Redmond / Bend-
Los Angeles
6:00 p.m.
8:50 p.m.
Daily
E175
Jan. 7
Los Angeles-
Redmond / Bend
8:00 a.m.
10:39 p.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
Redmond / Bend-
San Diego
11:40 a.m.
2:08 p.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
San Diego-
Redmond / Bend
2:50 p.m.
5:19 p.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
Redmond / Bend-
San Francisco
7:00 a.m.
8:38 a.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
San Francisco-
Redmond / Bend
6:35 p.m.
8:14 p.m.
Daily
E175
New Boise service:
Start Date
Destination
Departs
Arrives
Frequency
Aircraft
March 19
Boise-Los Angeles
7:45 a.m.
8:58 a.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
Boise-Los Angeles
4:30 p.m.
5:45 p.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
Los Angeles-Boise
8:30 a.m.
11:33 a.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
Los Angeles-Boise
7:55 p.m.
10:58 p.m.
Daily
E175
New Missoula service:
Start Date
Destination
Departs
Arrives
Frequency
Aircraft
March 19
Missoula-Los Angeles
7:00 p.m.
8:59 p.m.
Daily
E175
March 19
Los Angeles-Missoula
2:45 p.m.
6:24 p.m.
Daily
E175
New Anchorage service:
Start Date
Destination
Departs
Arrives
Frequency
Aircraft
April 21
Anchorage-
San Francisco
11:45 a.m.
5:25 p.m.
Daily
737
April 21
San Francisco-
Anchorage
9:45 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
Daily
737
Alaska is also increasing the frequency of flights between certain markets:
Beginning January 7, there will be an additional flight between San Francisco and Orange County, California, for a total of seven daily nonstops. On March 19, there will be the addition of a second daily flight between San Francisco and Chicago O’Hare.
On January 7, the flight between San Diego and Orlando, which is currently flown five times a week, becomes daily nonstop service. Starting March 19, second daily flights will begin between San Diego and Boise, and San Diego and Santa Rosa, California. Also on March 19, nonstop service between San Diego and San Jose, California, increases from four to six flights daily. On May 21, a second daily flight between San Diego and Boston goes into service.
A majority of the new routes will be served by the Embraer 175 jet, an aircraft with only window and aisle seating – no middle seats. On all of the new routes, guests will enjoy award-winning service in a three-class cabin that includes First Class and Premium Class; a fresh, seasonal food and beverage menu; Most Free Movies in the Sky with hundreds of movies and TV shows available for viewing on personal devices; free texting on most flights; and Wi-Fi connectivity for purchase.
Alaska Airlines and its regional partners fly 46 million guests a year to more than 115 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica.
Top Copyright Photo: Alaska SkyWest (SkyWest Airlines) Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N400SY (msn 17000732) SNA (Michael B. Ing). Image: 947332.
Alaska SkyWest aircraft photo gallery:
Current routes flown by SkyWest Airlines for Alaska Airlines:
Embraer and SkyWest, Inc. have signed a firm order for nine E175 jets, with deliveries expected to begin in 2019. The order has a value of $422 million, based on current list prices, and was already included in Embraer’s 2018 fourth-quarter backlog. SkyWest Airlines will operate all nine E175s, featuring a 76-seat configuration.
“Since 2013, SkyWest has purchased a total of 158 E175s, including these nine, in order to expand their large existing fleet of Embraer aircraft,” said Charlie Hillis, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, North America, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “We are extremely proud of their ongoing support for the E-Jets program and the fact that the E175 continues to outperform in North America. Without a doubt, the E175 has become the backbone of the regional aviation market in the U.S.”
Including this new contract, Embraer has sold more than 565 E175s to airlines in North America, since January 2013, earning more than 80% of all orders in this 70-76-seat jet segment.
SkyWest, Inc. is a premier regional airline company and the holding company of SkyWest Airlines. SkyWest holds a long history with Embraer as early customers for the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop aircraft.
Since entering revenue service, the E-Jets family has received more than 1,800 orders and over 1,500 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleet of 70 customers in 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline carriers.
Alaska Airlines is planning to add new daily nonstop service between San Diego and Spokane, Washington. The new service, which is scheduled to begin on October 1, will be the only nonstop flight offered between the two cities.
Start Date
City pair
Departs
Arrives
Frequency
Aircraft
Oct. 1
San Diego – Spokane
5:40 p.m.
8:25 p.m.
Daily
E175
Oct. 2
Spokane – San Diego
7:10 a.m.
9:55 a.m.
Daily
E175
Flight times based on local time zones.
This year, Alaska will average 46 daily departures to 28 destinations from San Diego, including the most nonstop flights to Mexico and Hawaii.
The route will be flown with Embraer 175 jets. The aircraft features a three-class cabin, including first class and Premium Class – which provides more legroom, early boarding and complimentary drinks. And on the E175, every seat is along a window or the aisle; there are no middle seats.
Alaska Airlines on November 6, 2017 began nonstop service between San Diego and Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport. San Diego is the third West Coast city to see nonstop service to Mexico’s largest metropolitan city with Los Angeles and San Francisco added in August 2017. With more than 100 flights a week to Mexico from California, Alaska Airlines offers California flyers more flight options to Mexico than any other U.S. carrier.
The year-round, nonstop service marks the ninth destination Alaska serves to Mexico. Other destinations with service from California include Cancun, Ixtapa/Zihuantanejo, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. Alaska began flying to Mexico in 1988.
Flight Schedule:
Start
Date
City Pair
Departure
Arrival
Aircraft
Frequency
Nov 6
San Diego-Mexico City
7:05 a.m.
12:50 p.m.
E-175
Daily
Mexico City-San Diego
7:25 p.m.
9:37 p.m.
E-175
Daily
The Mexico City flights will utilize Embraer 175 aircraft operated by SkyWest Airlines.
Copyright Photo: Alaska SkyWest (SkyWest Airlines) Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N186SY (msn 17000606) ONT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 938865.
Alaska Airlines will launch daily, nonstop service between its Seattle/Tacoma hub and San Luis Obispo, California, on April 13, 2017. Located just south of the city of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport serves travelers from as far north as Southern Monterey County and as far south as Northern Santa Barbara County.
The year-round service will be operated by SkyWest Airlines using Embraer E175 jets, featuring 12 seats in first class, 12 seats in Preferred Plus and 52 seats in the main cabin. The E175 boasts cabin dimensions on par with a Boeing 737.
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) today began flying four new routes that enhance its West Coast network. The new routes are between: Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas; Eugene, Oregon, and San Jose, California; Los Angeles and Monterey, California; and Boise, Idaho and Reno, Nevada.
All flights, except the Portland-Austin route, will be operated by Alaska’s sister carrier Horizon Air, using a 76-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft.
The Portland-Austin flights will be operated for Alaska by SkyWest Airlines, using new 76-seat Embraer 175 jets. The E175 jet features 12 seats in first class and 64 in coach, and with cabin dimensions on par with a 737.
