Alaska Air Group launches new global gateway in Seattle with unveiling of nonstop routes on Hawaiian Airlines to Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon

Rhea-AI Summary

Alaska Air Group announces major expansion with new international routes and enhanced domestic network following Hawaiian Airlines combination. Starting May 12, 2025, daily nonstop flights between Seattle and Tokyo Narita will begin using Hawaiian's Airbus A330-200 aircraft, followed by Seoul Incheon service in October 2025.

The company plans to serve 12 nonstop global destinations from Seattle by 2030. Domestic network improvements include 20% more seats between Seattle-Honolulu, 25% increase in Portland-Honolulu capacity, and new nonstops from San Francisco to Kona and Līhuʻe. Hawaiian's A321 aircraft utilization will increase by 25%, and the combined network will offer improved connectivity for East Coast and Midwest travelers.

Positive

• Launch of new international routes to Tokyo and Seoul expanding global reach
• 20% capacity increase on Seattle-Honolulu route
• 25% capacity increase on Portland-Honolulu route
• 25% increase in Hawaiian's A321 aircraft utilization
• Addition of new nonstop routes from San Francisco to Kona and Līhuʻe
• Enhanced network connectivity for East Coast and Midwest flights

Negative

• Weaker leisure travel demand in Hawaii-Japan market post-pandemic
• Impact of delayed Boeing 737 deliveries requiring fleet adjustments

Insights

Aviation Industry Analyst

This strategic expansion marks a significant transformation for Alaska Air Group post-Hawaiian Airlines merger. The launch of widebody routes to Tokyo and Seoul positions Seattle as a major transpacific hub, directly competing with established players like United and Delta. The network optimization shows smart capacity management - deploying Hawaiian's A330s on high-demand routes and increasing aircraft utilization by 25% helps offset Boeing 737 delivery delays. The 20% capacity increase between Seattle-Honolulu and new East Coast connectivity demonstrate strong revenue potential. Particularly noteworthy is the reallocation of aircraft from the weaker Hawaii-Japan leisure market to the more robust Seattle-Asia routes, suggesting improved yield management.

Market Research Analyst

The expansion represents a significant market opportunity for Alaska Air Group. The Seattle-Asia routes tap into growing transpacific business travel demand, while the enhanced domestic network strengthens the carrier's West Coast dominance. The strategic scheduling changes, including new redeye flights and improved connections, should drive higher load factors and yield. The planned expansion to 12 international destinations by 2030 indicates substantial long-term growth potential. The complementary cargo operations between Alaska and Hawaiian provide additional revenue streams. The decision to maintain both brands while integrating operations demonstrates smart brand management that preserves customer loyalty.

Financial Analyst

This network expansion showcases strong revenue optimization potential through multiple channels. The increased capacity deployment on high-yield routes, improved aircraft utilization and cargo network synergies should enhance operating margins. The strategic shift from leisure-heavy Hawaii-Japan routes to business-focused Seattle-Asia services suggests better yield management. The 25% increase in A321 utilization and optimization of widebody operations indicate improved cost efficiency. While initial setup costs will be significant, the long-term revenue potential from expanded international operations and enhanced domestic connectivity should drive positive financial returns. The planned completion of the single operating certificate by October 2025 will unlock further cost synergies.

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines also release combined spring/summer schedule with more choices and improved connectivity for guests flying between U.S. continent and Hawaiʻi

SEATTLE, Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group is celebrating another milestone in the combination of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines with the launch of Seattle as a new global gateway, connecting our guests to the world through a remarkable travel experience rooted in safety, care and performance. New nonstop service with Hawaiian Airlines widebody aircraft between Seattle and Tokyo Narita, Japan (NRT), and Seoul Incheon, South Korea (ICN) will begin in 2025, and an enhanced domestic network for the two airlines will launch this spring.

Daily nonstop flights between Seattle and Tokyo Narita start on May 12, 2025, offering guests an enticing option when traveling between the Pacific Northwest and Japan on Hawaiian's Airbus A330-200 aircraft. These flights, along with connections to other Asian destinations on oneworld Alliance partner Japan Airlines, can be purchased now at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Nonstop service between Seattle and Seoul Incheon is scheduled to begin in October 2025, with fares available for purchase early next year, along with additional flight details.

Air Group's Seattle hub is the largest on the West Coast of any carrier, serving 104 nonstop destinations across North America, allowing for convenient travel options and connections. Including Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon, the company plans to serve at least 12 nonstop global destinations with long-haul widebody aircraft from our Seattle gateway by 2030, with further specifics on where and when to be revealed later.

"We believe our guests will be as excited as we are about these new nonstop flights to Tokyo and Seoul – two of the world's most dynamic cities. From our global gateway in Seattle, we can conveniently connect travelers from across our network as they head to Asia and beyond," said Ben Minicucci, chief executive officer at Alaska Air Group. "Hawaiian's spacious widebody aircraft, along with its excellent onboard service and amenities, will make for a terrific trip from one side of the Pacific Rim to the other."

Our new widebody service between Seattle and Tokyo Narita enables us to right-size our capacity between Hawaiʻi and Japan, a market that has experienced a weaker leisure travel demand in the wake of the pandemic. As we reposition the aircraft on the Honolulu-Tokyo Narita route to Seattle, we will offer more flying options between Honolulu and Tokyo Haneda – one of two international airports in Japan's capital – by increasing Hawaiian's service from 12 to 14 flights a week. Hawaiian will also continue to offer nonstop service between Honolulu and both Osaka and Fukuoka for a total of 24 weekly roundtrips between Hawaiʻi and Japan.

We are also enhancing our newly combined domestic network with strategic changes to where, when and what type of aircraft we fly. Our primary goals are to improve performance, expand growth opportunities, and offer our guests increased choice, network connectivity and convenience. The adjustments begin to take effect in late March with our spring schedule and continue to roll out through the second quarter:

• More choices for our guests flying between the West Coast and Hawaiʻi: We're updating our departures to improve our time-of-day coverage. We will offer 20% more seats between Seattle and Honolulu, with three of our six daily nonstop flights from Seattle to Honolulu on widebody Hawaiian aircraft. This helps us accommodate an expected increase in passenger and cargo demand. In Portland, there will be three daily nonstops to Honolulu with convenient staggered departure times and a 25% increase in available seats. We're also improving connectivity in San Diego – a growing West Coast gateway to Hawaiʻi for Air Group – with mid-morning and late afternoon departures to Maui instead of just morning departures, and newly timed mid-afternoon and redeye departures from Maui.
  
  
• Improved connectivity for East Coast and Midwest flights to Hawai'i: We will offer an adjusted flight schedule using our combined network to allow for flights from the East Coast and Midwest to connect more easily on the West Coast before heading to the Islands. In addition to the new redeye between Maui and San Diego, we are adding three more overnight flights from Hawaiʻi to the West Coast: Honolulu and Maui to Portland, and Honolulu to San Francisco. The redeye flights unlock new connections for our flyers across the continental U.S. and will boost the utilization of Hawaiian aircraft. Improved connectivity will open greater access to Hawai'i for guests throughout our network and strengthen nonstop and one-stop access to destinations across North America for Hawai'i residents. 
  
  
• Maximizing widebody flying: To accommodate additional guests, we will fly Hawaiian's larger A330 aircraft on three flights between Honolulu and Seattle and move to one daily flight with an A330 between Honolulu and Sacramento. During the peak summer season in the state of Alaska, we will deploy Hawaiian A330 aircraft to fly between Seattle and Anchorage to take advantage of the aircraft's higher seating and cargo capacity. Alaska and Hawaiian have complementary cargo networks, with cargo playing a crucial role in the communities they serve. Alaska will fly at least 18 daily roundtrips this summer between Seattle and Anchorage.
  
  
• New nonstops between San Francisco and the Islands: We're adding new nonstops on Alaska between San Francisco and both Kona on Hawai'i Island and Līhu'e on Kauaʻi. San Francisco-Kona service will be four times a week starting June 12, 2025, and San Francisco-Līhuʻe will be three times a week starting June 13, 2025. With these new flights, Alaska and Hawaiian will offer four daily nonstop flights to the four main Hawaiian Islands from San Francisco, one of our key West Coast hubs. The new flights are available for purchase now at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com.
  
  
• Adding more flying with the Hawaiian brand: To better utilize the fleet, we've increased the number of hours Hawaiian's Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321 aircraft fly daily. This means more flying time for Hawaiian's crews and more union jobs. The A321s will fly 25% more than they did before. This strategy mitigates the impact of delayed Boeing 737 deliveries while enabling us to expand our overall network reach.

Alaska and Hawaiian continue to work on obtaining a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a process that is expected to be completed by October 2025. Each airline will operate separately until the certificate is issued. Even with the combination into one great airline, the company will keep the two brands our guests love so much.

About Alaska Air Group
Alaska Air Group, Inc. is based in Seattle and comprised of subsidiaries Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon Air and McGee Air Services. With our recent acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, we now serve more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Central America, Asia and the Pacific. We are committed to safety, remarkable customer care, operational excellence, financial performance and sustainability. Alaska Airlines is a member of the oneworld Alliance. With oneworld and our additional global partners, our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000 worldwide destinations. Book travel throughout the Pacific on Hawaiian Airlines at hawaiianairlines.com. Learn more about Alaska Airlines at news.alaskaair.com and Hawaiian Airlines at newsroom.hawaiianairlines.com/blog. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as "ALK."

 

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SOURCE Alaska Air Group, Inc.

FAQ

When will Alaska Air Group (ALK) start nonstop flights between Seattle and Tokyo Narita?

Alaska Air Group will begin daily nonstop flights between Seattle and Tokyo Narita on May 12, 2025, using Hawaiian Airlines' Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

What is the expected capacity increase for Alaska Air Group (ALK) between Seattle and Honolulu?

Alaska Air Group will increase seat capacity by 20% between Seattle and Honolulu, offering six daily nonstop flights, with three operated by Hawaiian's widebody aircraft.

When will Alaska Air Group (ALK) launch Seoul Incheon service from Seattle?

Alaska Air Group plans to begin nonstop service between Seattle and Seoul Incheon in October 2025, with fares available for purchase in early 2025.

What new routes is Alaska Air Group (ALK) adding from San Francisco to Hawaii?

Alaska Air Group is adding new nonstop flights from San Francisco to Kona (4 times weekly starting June 12, 2025) and to Līhuʻe (3 times weekly starting June 13, 2025).