SUMMARY
- Alaska Airlines Group’s acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines will solidify its position as the fifth-largest airline in the US.
- The merger will bring Airbus aircraft back into Alaska Airlines’ fleet.
- Hawaiian Airlines is set to receive 12 Boeing 787-9s in 2024 to complement its existing fleet of Airbus A330-200s.
Yesterday, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines shocked the aviation world by announcing that the Alaska Airlines Group would acquire Hawaiian. Some in the industry claim they predicted this years ago, but it is safe to say that most were not expecting this. Pending government approval, the two airlines’ operations will merge into one leadership group at Alaska Airlines’ headquarters in Seattle, but the two brands will continue to operate independently.
The merging of the two airlines would solidify Alaska Airlines Group’s place as the fifth-largest airline in the United States, a position that Alaska already holds, but the merger would not make the airline large enough to surpass Southwest Airlines (fourth-largest) in number of flights. The merging of the two airlines has two significant points. One, Alaska Airlines Group will reincorporate Airbus aircraft in its fleet after recently retiring the last Airbus A321neo, and two, Hawaiian Airlines has some aging Boeing 717s that need replacing.
Alaska Airlines fleet
With the retirement of all its Airbus aircraft, Alaska Airlines became another all-Boeing 737 operator, like Southwest Airlines, Ryanair, and others. According to ch-aviation, Alaska Airlines has 218 aircraft in its fleet, split into seven variants, including freighters. In addition to its current fleet, Alaska has ordered the Boeing 737-10 (MAX 10), which the Federal Aviation Administration recently approved the commencement of test flights, and the 737-8 (MAX 8).
Photo: Denver International Airport
The Seattle-based airline received its first 737-9 in January 2021 and since then has expanded its next-generation 737 fleet to 63 aircraft, and another 25 are on order. Its 737-700 and 737-900 fleets are quite old, averaging 23.7 and 21.7 years, respectively. The two older types comprise a small portion of the current fleet, with 11 -700s and 12 -900s in operation. The -800s and -900ERs make up a significant chunk of the fleet, with 59 and 79 aircraft, respectively. Alaska Airlines also has a small fleet of freighters, with three 737-700(BDSF) and one 737-800(BCF).
| Aircraft type | Number in fleet | Number on order | Average age (in years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 737-700 | 11 | 23.7 | |
| 737-800 | 59 | 15.7 | |
| 737-900 | 12 | 21.7 | |
| 737-900ER | 79 | 7.9 | |
| 737-9 | 63 | 1.7 | |
| B737-700(BDSF) | 3 | 22.9 | |
| 737-800(BCF) | 1 | 16.3 | |
| 737-8 | 10 | ||
| 737-10 | 48 |
Alaska Airlines Group also owns Horizon Air, which operates a significant amount of the airline’s regional flights and operates 41 Embraer E175s.
Get all the latest aviation news right here on Simple Flying.
Hawaiian Airlines fleet
Hawaiian Airlines, which was started as a carrier providing island-hopper flights and has expanded significantly over the years, operates 58 aircraft. According to ch-aviation, Hawaiian operates four aircraft types and has a fifth on order. In January 2024, Hawaiian is set to receive its first of 12 Boeing 787-9s, complementing the existing fleet of Airbus A330-200s. Twenty-five of the 58 aircraft are widebodies, with 24 A330-200s and an A330-200(P2F), which Hawaiian operates for Amazon.
Photo: Hawaiian Airlines
The remainder of the fleet is split between Airbus A321neos and Boeing 717s, which, as mentioned above, will need replacing soon. Below is the breakdown of the current Hawaiian fleet:
| Aircraft type | Number in fleet | Number on order | Average age (in years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 717 | 19 | 21.9 | |
| A330-200 | 24 | 10.5 | |
| A330-200 (P2F) | 1 | 5.1 | |
| A321neo | 18 | 5 | |
| Boeing 787-9 | 12 |
