Alaska Airlines 787 Begin New Era

Alaska Airlines is about to embark on a new era, with the Boeing 787 at the helm.

The U.S. carrier has confirmed new routes, alongside a new livery and a bold plan to make Seattle a global hub.

So, what is next for this U.S. carrier as it embarks on a new era?

A Bold New Livery Revealed

Alaska Airlines has unveiled a new look to highlight the way forward, with Alaska offering a global experience to Asia and Europe, all from Seattle.

Aligning with the introduction of the first phase of this global experience on the Boeing 787-9, these aircraft will debut with an all-new livery. In fact, by Spring 2026, the aircraft will all feature the revised livery.

The evolution of the brand symbolises the bold vision that will take the airline forward in the coming decades with a commitment to the Pacific Northwest as a global gateway.

The new livery to feature on the 787 draws what the carrier describes as inspiration from the natural wonders of the world and specifically the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights.

The Aurora Borealis, known to capture global audiences, is also well known across the state of Alaska and features a palette of deep midnight blues with strokes of emerald greens to highlight the spirit in the airline’s brand.

Flowing aura lines, which are also seen in their current Alaska Airlines livery and premium cabins, are present. The company says this guides the design with light, motion, and flow.

The eye-catching stripe is what the airline says is a nod to the classic liveries of the 70s and 80s, and continues along the fuselage of the aircraft.

Alaska Airlines confirms that despite the change coming to the 787, this will not affect the Alaska Native on Alaska’s narrowbody planes and not the Pualani on all Hawaiian Airlines’ aircraft flying, which are operating to, from and within the Hawaiian Islands.

This comes after some scrutiny over the last year since the tie-up between the two airlines was confirmed, regarding the impact on the Hawaiian Airlines brand and connectivity throughout the Islands.

Seattle Becomes A Gateway

The fresh new Boeing 787 will primarily be seen in Seattle, which has already been announced as part of an emerging global gateway to serve long-range cities in Asia and Europe.

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.

Under Alaska Accelerate, Seattle will become a gateway for worldwide connectivity, and the utilisation of types such as the Boeing 787 for the long term will be crucial to achieving objectives, which include a presence in Europe and beyond.

Alaska Airlines hopes that by 2030 it’ll serve 12 intercontinental destinations from its hometown airport of Seattle, but just a handful have already been confirmed, and many more are expected to follow in due course.

With these bold moves, we are accelerating our vision to connect our guests to the world. We are seizing this moment to redefine the international experience and level up. And we’re doing it with the same relentless focus on safety, care and performance that’s always defined us. I’m so proud of how our people continue to step up and deliver as we push ahead on these initiatives, with even more to come.

Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines CEO

Alaska Airlines Confirms New Routes

As part of the new livery unveiling and a bid to continue with the ambition of making Seattle a global gateway, new routes were announced by the company.

Beginning in Spring 2026, the carrier will commence flying from Seattle through to London, marking the fourth new intercontinental destination.

Daily year-round service will first be offered to London, the British capital, which the carrier cites as one of the most sought-after destinations that its customer base has recommended.

As a gateway, London is the perfect point to feed traffic into European destinations and enable better access from the West Coast through to London, with the company using its Boeing 787.

Meanwhile, non-stop service will be offered to Reykjavik in Iceland on a seasonal basis during the summer, with the same daily frequency as London. Service to this city will be the fifth international market served, following in the footsteps of London.

However, Alaska Airlines will specifically utilise its 737-8, which is part of the 737 MAX family, to make this route a reality, showing the capabilities of the MAX and how it’ll benefit the airline moving forward on longer segments.

These two locations also follow the June announcement, which saw the airline confirm its first European city to be served by the 787 Dreamliner.

The U.S carrier selected Rome, Italy, to be the debut city with services to begin in May 2026 and described the CEO as a dream come true and a significant addition to the network.

Under the current schedule, the carrier plans to see service offered four times a week with wheels-up departures from Seattle on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.