Alaska Airlines has a well-known presence on the US West Coast. With its largest hub in Seattle, the airline is a force to be reckoned with and has strong loyalty in the Pacific Northwest. With a robust fleet of over 300 aircraft, the airline operates some older and many younger jets. Here are the oldest planes flying for Alaska.
The oldest planes in Alaska’s fleet are Boeing 737s
The oldest aircraft with Alaska Airlines are Boeing 737s, according to data from Planespotters. The top ten oldest are all Boeing 737-700s:
- N607AS; 21 years old
- N609AS; 21 years old
- N611AS; 21 years old
- N612AS; 21 years old
- N613AS; 21 years old
- N614AS; 21 years old
- N615AS: 20 years old
- N618AS; 20 years old
- N619AS; 20 years old
- N622AS; 20 years old
The 737-700s are the smallest variant of the 737 family that Alaska flies. The carrier outfits these aircraft with 124 sears– 12 in first class, 18 extra-legroom economy, and 112 economy seats. Most of these jets fly short- and medium-haul missions. They can be found across the Pacific Northwest and within Alaska. Some of these planes even operate the airline’s Milk Run service and help provide crucial air transportation links to rural communities that would otherwise remain underserved.
In addition, three 737-900s are among the oldest in Alaska’s fleet. N302AS, N303AS, and N305AS are all 20 years old. The 737-900s carry 178 passengers– 16 in first, 24 in extra-legroom economy, and 138 in economy.
Cargo aircraft
Three dedicated cargo aircraft are also about 20 years old. These aircraft are N625AS, N626AS, and N627AS. Their primary missions are up in Alaska’s rural communities where travel demand is slim, but cargo demand is high due to their remote locations. For a lot of these communities, Alaska’s air cargo division provides lifelines.
The Horizon Air fleet
The Dash 8-400 fleet flying for Horizon Air also has several older aircraft. This includes N400QX, N401QX, N402QX, N403QX, N404QX, and N405QX. All of these planes were delivered new to the airline in 2001 and are approaching their 20th birthday. These jets fly a lot of short-haul regional missions. Onboard, passengers will find 76 economy class seats. The Dash 8s are the only turboprop aircraft that either Horizon or Alaska currently fly.
The other regional jets in Alaska’s fleet include the ERJ175s– which will soon also be flying in Alaska.
Ex-Virgin America Airbus planes
For most of its recent life, Alaska has remained an all-Boeing mainline fleet. However, with the acquisition of Virgin America, the airline also took on some Airbus planes. After undergoing retrofits, these planes have eight first class seats, 18 extra-legroom seats, and 123 economy class seats.The oldest of the A320s are 14 years old:
- N621VA
- N622VA
- N623VA
- N624VA
- N625VA
The future of the A320s remains to be seen. Alaska is moving forward with retirements of this type, and these older planes would likely be one of the first to go. The airline has already started to retire some younger A320s and waved goodbye to the A319s– the oldest of which were of a similar age to the A320s.
What is the oldest Alaska Airlines plane that you have flown on? Let us know in the comments!
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