Alaska Airlines Orders 110 Boeing Jets to 2035, Securing Slots Amid 17,000-Plane Backlog
Updated
Updated · Simple Flying · Jun 7
Alaska Airlines Orders 110 Boeing Jets to 2035, Securing Slots Amid 17,000-Plane Backlog
1 articles · Updated · Simple Flying · Jun 7
Summary
Alaska’s record Boeing order covers 105 narrowbody jets and five 787-10s, lifting its 737-family order book to 245 aircraft with deliveries stretching through 2035.
The airline said the deal secures critical delivery slots as Boeing and Airbus face a combined backlog of about 17,000 planes—nearly 60% of the active global fleet and roughly 12 years of output.
That queue reflects supply-chain strain, especially engine shortages and labor constraints, which IATA says are unlikely to normalize before 2031 to 2034 and had already left at least 5,300 delivery shortfalls by December.
Alaska also negotiated options for 35 more 737-10s and flexibility to switch models, letting it hold its place in line while refining fleet needs later.
For airlines broadly, ordering early also locks in prices and helps avoid the rising maintenance, fuel and leasing costs of older aircraft—disruptions that IATA and Oliver Wyman estimate topped $11 billion last year.