Alaska Airlines has unveiled a new livery as the airline steps forward with its international expansion. The airline describes this as “…an evolution of the Alaska brand that reflects a bold vision for international growth and our commitment to connecting the Pacific Northwest to destinations around the world.”
To put it simply, it’s a very exciting time to be an Alaska Airlines fan! We’ve seen the Hawaiian acquisition, new international routes (including two more to London and Reykjavik announced today), and now this new livery. The airline still has a lot more to announce as well, as we’ve yet to hear about details of the 787 interiors and the Hawaiian A330s when they get refurbished.
The new livery will be unique to the Boeing 787-9 fleet. This includes both new 787 deliveries and existing 787s the airline received from Hawaiian during the acquisition. The A330s will keep the Hawaiian livery (for now). Down the road, the plan is to base the 787s in Seattle and the A330s in Hawaii, so you won’t have the weird phenomenon of boarding an Alaska plane to go from Honolulu to Seoul.
“Our new 787 exterior embodies Alaska’s transition to a global airline with beauty, grace and a nod to our heritage. As we significantly expand to new destinations around the globe, we’re eager for more and more travelers to recognize our new livery as being Alaska Airlines and appreciate the outstanding service we’ve long been known for.”
– Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines Chief Customer Officer
Design-wise, the livery is inspired by and resembles the Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights. Basic? Sure. But I personally like it a lot; the airline did a good job keeping the original Alaska Airlines colors and using those to resemble the Northern Lights. It reminds me a little of ANA’s livery, just without any letters on the tail.
And yes, I think I know a thing or two about the Northern Lights:
It’s easily my favorite view you can get from an airplane. I’ve seen it a total of three times, all of which while flying over Northern Alaska. I’m glad to see Alaska Airlines showcase this unique Alaskan feature as part of its global push.
Featured image by Alaska Airlines.
