Alaska Airlines Confirms Europe Launch

Alaska Airlines has confirmed the first European city it’ll serve as it gears up for the launch of these flights in 2026.

The U.S. carrier has selected Rome, Italy, as the debut city, with flights set to begin in May 2026 and bookings to be available starting in Fall 2025.

Celebrating the new global gateway of Seattle, Rome becomes the first international destination heading East and, more importantly, in Europe for the carrier.

Described as a dream come true for the airline’s CEO, this is a significant addition to the network, as guests have previously flown to Italy only through other airlines.

The Boeing 787-9 will operate the flight. However, this will be a Hawaiian Airlines aircraft. Ultimately, this route is all possible thanks to the tie-up of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

Departures on the service are scheduled four times a week, with wheels up from Seattle on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Alaska Airlines confirms that the aircraft will depart Rome at 1800 with a planned next-day arrival at 1345. The return leg departs Rome at 1545 with a same-day 1800 arrival into the airline’s home of Seattle once more.

A Huge Moment For Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines’ planned European launch has been a long time in the making and follows directly from the previous confirmation of service expansion to Seoul Incheon.

On several occasions, the airline’s CEO stated that European destinations were high on the radar of the business as they sought to evolve and make Seattle a true global hub moving forward.

Alaska Airlines will leverage its newly acquired takeover of Hawaiian Airlines to its advantage, with the widebodies to be a fundamental reason why the airline can make these routes happen.

While Alaska Airlines is launching the flights, the reality remains that for their mainline division, there is no aircraft capable of operating long-haul, as the Boeing 737 family is the largest aircraft they have at their disposal.

These planes are part of a broader effort to have 12 international nonstop destinations from Seattle served with widebody aircraft by 2030. Tokyo and Seoul are the first two, and now Rome will follow as the third.

The 787 Dreamliner will play a crucial role in making these new international routes viable in the long term. This latest addition to the Hawaiian Airlines business will continue to be delivered in the coming years.

As more units enter service, Alaska Airlines will leverage this next-generation aircraft to move them towards Seattle, helping the broader group achieve network connectivity and better compete with established companies.

Seattle becomes a key player in achieving these goals, alongside the Dreamliner, offering greater connectivity across the Pacific Ocean to Asia and then across the Atlantic to long-haul European destinations.