Following its merger with Hawaiian Airlines, which concluded in 2024, Alaska Airlines advanced its ambitions to operate as an international carrier. The arrival of its inaugural Boeing 787 Dreamliners has significantly broadened its long-haul capabilities, expanding from the initial few Airbus A330 widebodies based in Honolulu. The five 787s currently in service now connect to Rome, London, Seoul, and Tokyo, in addition to flights to Hawaii.
This fleet of twin-aisle aircraft has ushered in an exciting era of growth and transformation for the Alaska Air Group. However, the limited number of jets has already highlighted the fragility of the new international network. On July 19, one of the aircraft had to turn back over England and did not complete its journey, leaving the airline without a replacement aircraft.
When Alaska initiated its Rome service in the spring, executives indicated that the airline required all five Dreamliners, plus an additional spare that it did not possess, to operate its complete summer schedule, as reported by Business Traveller. The lack of a spare aircraft turned a midsummer malfunction into a significant issue rather than just an unscheduled maintenance event. Fortunately, relief is on the horizon, as Alaska has placed an order for a total of 17 Dreamliners, with plans to serve at least 12 long-haul destinations from Seattle by 2030.
Five Jets Carry Every Long-Haul Route
The current fleet of 787s is limited because it originated as an upgrade order for a smaller airline with more modest goals. Hawaiian Airlines, the original purchaser, swapped its A330neo order for Boeing jets, and Alaska acquired the delivered aircraft through the merger. By January, the available jets were assigned to long-haul routes, and Alaska exercised all remaining options for 787s under the agreement.
This brought the total number of aircraft in the group to 17, including five larger 787-10 variants. However, by operating its long-haul network with two different aircraft manufacturers, Alaska is facing operational challenges on the flight line. Currently, its transatlantic services exclusively utilize 787s, while in the Pacific, the older A330-200 Hawaiian widebodies are operating alongside the newer 787s introduced by Alaska. Additionally, Alaska is developing this network in competition with rivals that have more aircraft available.
According to Airways, Alaska aims to establish at least 12 long-haul destinations from Seattle by 2030. This international expansion has placed the airline in direct competition with established global giants. While Alaska is rapidly expanding its long-haul operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), it confronts a challenging reality: nearly every seat it sells for the upcoming summer is on a route where Delta Air Lines already provides nonstop service.
The ability of its competitors to respond was demonstrated when Delta replicated Alaska’s inaugural transatlantic route by launching its own nonstop flights to Rome Airport (FCO) from SeaTac. As one of the largest airlines globally, Delta can easily replace the A330neo it operates against Alaska if it encounters grounding issues, with minimal disruption to its schedule. Should Alaska stumble, its competitors are poised to take advantage.
How One Diversion Became A Network Problem
Flight AS181 departed from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport in the late afternoon of July 19, operated by the 787 with tail number N780HA. Approximately two hours into the flight, over southeastern England, the crew decided to abandon the crossing and return. The pilots declared a general emergency, jettisoned fuel to decrease weight, and landed back at FCO roughly five and a half hours after takeoff.
According to Aero Corner, the flight crew noticed unusual engine vibrations from the General Electric GEnx engines. Fortunately, there were no injuries among the passengers or crew. After conducting an engineering assessment on the ground, Alaska concluded that the aircraft needed further maintenance, leading to the cancellation of the original flight and the arrangement of alternative accommodations for the passengers.
The aircraft remained on the ground in Rome for about 18 hours for inspection.
Source: Original article
