The Active Alaska Airlines Jets With The Most Hours On The Clock

Alaska Airways is called an airline that cycles its airplanes by means of its community in situations that adjust from the snow and ice of Alaska to the sand and salt of extra tropical climes. Alaska Airways has airframes that fly for round 3,000 hours a yr, give or take. We check out the oldest in its fleet.

Essentially the most used Alaska Airways jet is…

In keeping with ch-aviation, probably the most used Alaska Airways airframe is N611AS, a Boeing 737-700:

This Boeing 737-700 had its first flight on September 16, 1999, with supply on October 6, 1999, to Alaska Airways. Ever since, this 737-700 has been in service all through the Alaska Airways system. As much as February 28, 2022, the jet has accrued 69,040 flight hours all through its life, for a median of three,072.37 annual hours or eight hours, twenty 5 minutes (8:25) of day by day income service.

A cursory evaluate of its latest FlightRadar24.com historical past exhibits N611AS is now principally flown round airports within the State of Alaska, with occasional journeys into Seattle and again. Because the smallest mainline Alaska Airways plane, with a capability of 124 passengers, 3 flight attendants and a pair of pilots, its capability and vary of two,985 nautical miles make the plane properly suited to service the lengthy, low-demand however important routes in Alaska.

N309AS is the second most used (and a registration used twice!)

One other well-used airframe for Alaska Airways is N309AS, a Boeing 737-900. This 737-900 had its first flight on July 12, 2001, and was delivered on July 27, 2001, to its solely buyer. Ever since, based on ch-aviation.com, this explicit 737-900 has accrued 69,039 flight hours all through its life for a median of three,343.40 annual hours or 9 hours, ten minutes (9:10) of day by day service. N309AS has additionally been tracked by FlightRadar24.com as going all through the Alaska Airways community of routes, principally connecting completely different States.

Moreover, Alaska Airways has had 737-900s in its fleet since 2001. In keeping with a Might 29, 2001, airline information launch, the Alaska Airways fleet was a mixture of 40 737-400s, 16 737-700s, 9 737-200Cs, 32 MD-80s, and three 737-900s. The truth is, Alaska Airways was the launch buyer for the 737-900 and, as of 2022, has 12 737-900s and 76 energetic 737-900ERs with 1 saved and a pair of in upkeep.

It is value noting that the registration variety of this plane used to grace a Boeing 727-200 in Alaska Airways service. This 727-200 was bought by Alaska Airways from Singapore Airways on January 22, 1985, and used till September 30, 1992, earlier than being bought to Continental Micronesia after which Amerijet for use as a freighter.

In keeping with ch-aviation.com, the plane is now saved at Sebring Worldwide in Florida and accrued 67,671 flight hours at virtually 43 years of age. That is in distinction to the second N309AS in Alaska Airways service, which has already racked up 69,039 hours at virtually 21 years of age.

The third most used Alaska Airways jet can be a… 737-900

Sure, one other 737-900 on the excessive use podium is N303AS. With a capability of 178 passengers, 4 flight attendants, and two pilots, this jet has a spread of two,210 nautical miles. As such, the Boeing 737-900 is an efficient airframe for Alaska Airways’ routes that join the contiguous 48 to Alaska, Hawaii and Latin America. This airframe has accrued 68,871 flight hours since its October 18, 2000, first flight and was delivered on June 25, 2001.

Just like the second most used 737, N309AS, this registry was beforehand utilized by Alaska Airways on a Boeing 707 and a Boeing 727. It is clear that Alaska Airways’ loyalty to Boeing merchandise is paying off in having plane which can be as much as accumulating the flight hours.

About to get replaced by the 737 MAX?

Alaska Airways is planning to exchange its 737 Subsequent Technology fleet with 737 MAXs. As mentioned again in March 2022, Alaska Airways intends to order from Boeing:

• 60 737 MAX 10s, that includes 189 seats
• 70 MAX 9s, that includes 178 seats
• 15 MAX 8s, that includes 163 seats.

One wonders how Alaska Airways will handle with out the 737-700 with its 124 seat capability and nonetheless working 11 of the sort. The substitute of a MAX 8 is way greater capability – 163 seats – for a similar lengthy, low-demand routes in Alaska Airways’ route community. Not less than the MAX 9s are a seat-for-seat substitute to the -900 & -900ERs, whereas the MAX 10s will add 11 seats per flight.