Alaska Airlines has welcomed back its first upgraded Boeing 737NG cabin refresh on the pictured Boeing 737-800 “Wild Alaska Seafood” N559AS.
The new interior cabin upgrade utilizes Recaro seats.
Chistopher Dela Rosa made the announcement on social media:
Excited to welcome our first retrofitted 737-800 back into the Alaska Airlines fleet!
• Updated seat design
• Updated cabin dividers
• Updated bulkhead
• LED Lighting
Excited to welcome our first retrofitted 737-800 back into the @AlaskaAir fleet! • Updated seat design • Updated cabin dividers • Updated bulkhead • LED Lighting pic.twitter.com/UTlV6XhnA5
Alaska Air Cargo (Alaska Airlines) (Seattle/Tacoma) today (May 16) delivered 24,100 pounds of the season’s first shipment of Alaska Copper River salmon to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The arrival of the fish-filled Boeing 737 marks the start of the summer salmon season and is an annual rite of passage anticipated by seafood lovers throughout the Pacific Northwest.
At least five more Alaska Airlines flights today will transport salmon from Cordova, Alaska, to Anchorage, Seattle and throughout the United States. The flights will have fresh fish from three Alaska seafood processors: Copper River Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods and Trident Seafoods.
Alaska Airlines plays a significant role in supporting the Alaska seafood industry, which is recognized worldwide for its sustainable fishing practices. Last year, the carrier flew more than 24.5 million pounds of fresh Alaska seafood to the Lower 48 states and beyond, including 1 million pounds of Copper River salmon.
“No other airline delivers more Copper River salmon to the Lower 48 than Alaska Airlines, and making that happen within 24 hours after the fish is pulled from the water is no small feat,” said Betsy Bacon, managing director of Alaska Air Cargo. “Hundreds of employees from across the state of Alaska, Seattle and beyond spend months getting ready for the busy summer fish season.”
5th annual Copper Chef Cook-off
Following the arrival of the first fish, three Seattle-area top chefs — John Howie, owner of Seastar, Jason Franey of Canlis and Ethan Stowell, owner of Tavolata — will compete for the best salmon recipe in Alaska Air Cargo’s fifth annual Copper Chef Cook-off. The chefs will have 30 minutes to prepare and serve the first catch of the season to a panel of judges, which include Seahawks place kicker Steven Hauschka; Jay Buhner, Seattle Mariners Hall of Famer; and Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines’ chief operating officer. The airline will announce the winner of the cook-off on Twitter @AlaskaAir. Fish lovers can follow the competition and share their favorite salmon recipes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #SalmonChef.
Among the onlookers awaiting the arrival of the first fish were 10 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP Gold members, and representatives from USO Northwest, the U.S. Marines and U.S. Coast Guard, who were invited to sample the season’s first Copper River salmon.
Anchorage hosts First Fish parade
Farther north, Copper River Seafoods and local Anchorage-area restaurants are also welcoming the arrival of Copper River salmon with festivities planned at Alaska Air Cargo at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Later this afternoon, the seafood company will deliver a ceremonial first fish to seven downtown Anchorage restaurants.
Enhanced seafood quality training program
Copper River salmon shipped on Alaska Air Cargo arrives as fresh as possible to grocery stores and restaurants across the nation, thanks in part to a cool chain training program required of all airline employees who handle perishables. Alaska Air Cargo employees are required to adhere to strict seafood quality standards and pass an annual food quality course.
Seafood processors and shippers follow these cool-chain standards to provide a temperature-controlled environment for proper food handling. The goal is to keep seafood moving rapidly throughout its journey on Alaska Airlines and maintain a consistent temperature range from the time it leaves the water to when it arrives at stores and restaurants.
The first Copper River salmon was brought to SEA with their Boeing 737-400 Combi N765AS.
In other news, Alaska Airlines was awarded its seventh J. D. Power award as the best traditional network carrier.
Top Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com. Beautifully displayed, Boeing 737-890 N559AS (msn 35178) is the second Alaska 737 to wear the special “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon” livery in support of the Alaska fisheries industry.
Alaska Airlines:
Video: the ceremonial fish head “kick-off”:
Bottom Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Dedicated as a freighter, Boeing 737-490 (F) N709AS (msn 28896) climbs away from the runway at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC).
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) yesterday (October 4) introduced its latest logojet in the form of “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon II” painted on its Boeing 737-890 N559AS (msn 35178) in its salute to “Wild Alaska Seafood”. The company issued the following statement:
Weighing in at 91,000 pounds, the world’s largest salmon landed in Anchorage on October 4 to a cheering crowd of hundreds of Alaska Airlines employees and seafood industry executives. Stretching nearly 129 feet, the fish-themed Boeing 737-800 is the most intricately painted commercial aircraft in the world and celebrates the partnership of Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
The new “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon II” design is nearly identical to an earlier version of the paint scheme that Alaska Airlines unveiled on a 737-400 (737-490 N792AS msn 28887) (see link below) in 2005, which was re-painted with the carrier’s traditional Eskimo livery last year. In addition to sporting the glimmering image of a wild Alaska king salmon like the original “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon,” the new design is about nine feet longer and also features fish scales on the winglets and a salmon pink-colored Alaska script across the fuselage. The design was produced in partnership with ASMI, which promotes wild, natural and sustainable Alaska seafood.
Alaska Airlines flew nearly 24 million pounds of seafood last year from Alaska to markets in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Streamlined flight schedules and a rigorous training program required of all airline employees who handle perishables ensures the seafood that travels from Alaska waters to markets across the United States arrives fresh—often within 24 hours. The goal is to keep seafood moving rapidly throughout its journey on Alaska Airlines and maintain a consistent temperature range from the time it leaves the water to when it arrives in stores and restaurants.
About half of the United States’ total seafood catch comes from Alaska fisheries, according to ASMI. In addition, the state of Alaska is widely regarded as a world leader in sustainable management of its seafood resources.
“Salmon-Thirty-Salmon II” trivia
The 129-foot-long Boeing 737-800 has a wingspan of 117 feet and a cruising speed of 530 mph.
Four gallons of Mylar paint was used to create an iridescent sparkle over the nearly 3,500 fish scales, which also makes the painting three dimensional.
More than 90 percent of the fuselage was airbrushed with 21 unique colors to create the lifelike king salmon.
A crew of eight worked around the clock for 27 days at Associated Painters Inc. in Oklahoma City to paint the plane.
The plane accommodates 157 passengers and six crew members.
Beginning today (October 5), the aircraft will fly passenger routes throughout Alaska Airlines’ network, connecting destinations from Hawaii to Boston and from Anchorage as far south as Mexico.
The “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon II” aircraft is an original design of Mark Boyle, a Seattle-based wildlife artist who is also a recognized leader in the livery design of commercial aircraft. Boyle designed the first Salmon-Thirty-Salmon plane and has created a dozen other special paint themes for Alaska Airlines in recent years, including the Spirit of Disneyland I and II and the Spirit of Make-A-Wish planes.
Video:
Copyright Photos: The new Salmon-Thirty-Salmon II plane boasts fish scales on the winglets. Four gallons of Mylar paint was used to create an iridescent sparkle over the nearly 3,500 fish scales decorating the plane. (PRNewsFoto/Alaska Airlines)
See all of the special schemes at Alaska Airlines (Slide Show):
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) will suspend service to Petersburg, AK from March 23 through April 21 due to runway construction by the State of Alaska DOT.
