LONDON – Alaska Airlines has today announced it will firm up an order for 12 more Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft from its existing exercisable options.

This means that the airline will have a firm commitment to 93 of the aircraft type, five of which are already in service.

Commenting on the news was Nat Pieper, Alaska Airlines’ Senior VP of Fleet, Finance, and Alliances who expressed excitement over the deal.

“We are excited to accelerate Alaska’s growth, building on the solid financial foundation that enabled us to weather the pandemic. These aircraft are a prudent, long-term investment in our business that we can make while simultaneously maintaining our strong balance sheet.”

“Boeing continues to be a terrific partner for Alaska. We began flying our first 737-9s this past spring, and we’re extremely pleased with the operational, financial, and environmental performance of the aircraft. The planes are exceeding our expectations – from how quiet the engines run to the greater range they provide – and our guests love them.”

This year, Alaska has already exercised 25 of its options, including a deal back in May for 13, and has committed to Boeing further by backfilling the 25 options already exercised this year.

The 12 options exercised today will be delivered in the next two to three years, with 10 in 2023 and the remaining two in 2024. This will be on the same timetable for the options exercised in May too.

For the original firm order, the airline will receive 12 this year, 31 in 2022, 13 in 2023 and 12 in 2024.