alaska airlines I have ordered over 100 pieces boeing The company’s fleet chief said the acquisition will ensure the company can expand and secure high-demand order slots through the middle of this decade.
The largest order in Alaska’s history, announced Wednesday, includes 105 uncertified Boeing 737 Max 10 jets. Alaska Airlines also plans to expand internationally with nonstop flights to Italy, South Korea and elsewhere, and has purchased five 787-10 Dreamliners, using an earlier purchase option for long-range jets.
Shane Jones, who oversees Alaska Airlines’ fleet, revenue products and real estate, told CNBC that the airline expects to receive FAA certification for the Max 10 this year, with deliveries beginning in 2027.
Alaska Airlines, which acquired Hawaiian Airlines in 2024, has increased its fleet to 413 aircraft, and said it plans to increase its fleet to 475 aircraft in 2030 and 550 aircraft by 2035, combining this and previous orders.
The new order includes options for an additional 35 737 Max 10s. Of the aircraft ordered Wednesday, 53 are new models and 52 are due to options the company is exercising.
Boeing has more than 6,000 planes on backorder, but Alaska Airlines’ purchase plan is a vote of confidence for the plane maker, whose 737 factory 16 miles from the airline’s headquarters two years ago delivered 737 Max 9s to Alaska without key bolts in the door plugs. The panel flew off the plane during takeoff from Portland, Oregon, on January 5, 2024, surprising some travelers, but no one was seriously injured.
The crash caused Boeing to temporarily ground its 737 Max 9 fleet, restarting production as it navigates new safety crises in what was supposed to be a year of reflection after two deadly Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.
A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner airliner wearing Alaska Airlines’ new aircraft colors during a media event at the Boeing Delivery Center on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, in Seattle, Washington, USA.
M. Scott Braugher | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Under Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who replaced insider Dave Calhoun in the months after the crash, the company has increased production speed and quality, airline executives said. The company plans to expand production this year. The FAA must approve Boeing’s maximum production increase, a requirement after the door plug accident.
Alaska Airlines’ Jones told CNBC on Wednesday that Wednesday’s order was an expression of “our confidence in the Max 10 certification,” but also “our confidence in Boeing and its turnaround and ability to produce quality aircraft on time.”
Although the 737 Max 10 has a shorter range than some other models, it can carry more passengers than smaller aircraft, which can improve the cost per flight on high-demand flights and get more customers to and from busy airports where adding flights is difficult.
The Max 10 is years behind schedule and is still awaiting FAA approval. Jones said he expects certification to be achieved this year, with first deliveries of the variant completed in the first half of 2027.
Jones said about half of new aircraft orders are for renewals and the rest for growth. He declined to say how much the airline paid for the plane. Manufacturers often share list prices, but large customers usually receive discounts for large orders.
