- Additional Boeing 737-800BCF aircraft expand the airline’s freighter fleet to nine, providing greater aircraft allocation flexibility
- More capacity provides communities increased reliability for critical goods while expanding the carrier’s international shipping opportunities
- Cargo growth advances the company’s Alaska Accelerate strategic plan, delivering $150 million of new annual profit
SEATTLE, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Alaska Airlines, Inc. today announced it is entering into long-term lease agreements to add four 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) aircraft to its dedicated cargo fleet, increasing the carrier’s 737 freighter fleet from five to nine aircraft.
The four additional freighters will effectively double the capacity of our freighter fleet, while injecting more reliability into cargo service for communities we serve and providing more flexibility in aircraft allocation across the airline’s cargo network.
The freighters are expected to enter service in the first half of 2027 and will be dedicated to the states of Alaska and Hawai’i, with the plan to paint Hawai’i-based cargo aircraft in Hawaiian Air Cargo livery.
These additional freighters help strengthen the network that connects communities across the states of Alaska and Hawai’i to the contiguous U.S., and links them into Alaska’s broader global cargo network. Added capacity in Hawai’i is also expected to benefit e-commerce and logistics industries by giving businesses increased reliability in moving goods.
“Alaska Air Cargo has two very important goals: supporting our communities and customers and connecting them to the world,” said Ian Morgan, Vice President of Cargo at Alaska Airlines. “Expanding our cargo fleet with dedicated aircraft helps us accomplish both goals, opening up new international shipping opportunities for seafood and other commodities, while making sure we can reliably ship time-sensitive goods that our communities need, such as medicine, household supplies and groceries.”
“Transportation has always been one of the biggest challenges for agriculture in Hawaiʻi,” said Jayson Watts, Chair of the Hawaiʻi Agribusiness Development Corporation and a member of the Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiʻi Community Advisory Board. “Having more dedicated cargo capacity gives our farmers and ranchers another reliable, consistent way to get fresh products to market. That’s a win for local agriculture, a win for our communities, and a critical step toward building a stronger, more resilient food system.”
Alaska Air Cargo’s growth underscores its importance to diversifying Alaska’s revenue base. As part of the Alaska Accelerate strategic plan, cargo is poised to deliver $150 million of new annual profit as we integrate the cargo operations of Alaska and Hawaiian and expand internationally out of Seattle.
As the only legacy passenger airline with a dedicated cargo fleet, Alaska Air Cargo carries more than 370 million pounds of cargo each year to more than 100 destinations across North America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. The additional four 737-800 freighters represent a continued investment in fast, reliable shipping, while positioning the airline’s cargo business for future growth.
About Alaska and Hawaiian Air Cargo
Alaska and Hawaiian Air Cargo together serve 110-plus destinations around the world with more than 1,300 daily flights. We offer a variety of reliable shipping products, a long history of cold-chain innovations and unmatched customer service throughout our shared network. Alaska Air Cargo is the only passenger airline in the U.S. with dedicated cargo planes, and our freighter fleet serves 19 communities across the state of Alaska. Our cargo teams also offer belly-cargo service on more than 400 passenger planes – including B787 and A330 widebody aircraft – serving the continental U.S., Canada, Hawai’i, Japan, South Korea, the South Pacific, Mexico and Europe.
About Alaska, Hawaiian and Horizon
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, and McGee Air Services is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. We are a global airline with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. We deliver remarkable care as we fly our guests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia, the Pacific and Europe. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Alaska and Hawaiian are members of the oneworld alliance. Members of our Atmos Rewards loyalty program can earn and redeem points with oneworld airlines and our additional global partners that serve over 1,000 worldwide destinations. Learn more about what’s happening at Alaska and Hawaiian at news.alaskaair.com. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as “ALK.”
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines
