BOEING FRONTIERS / MAY 2013 15 Everyone remembers their first com-mercial flight. Mine was aboard a small charter plane operated by Winship Air Services on Dec. 17, 1976, from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to Anchorage. I’d just spent five months working on a king crab fishing and processing boat— long before the “Deadliest Catch” made crab fishing cool. My second flight, aboard a spacious, red-tailed Northwest Orient 747 jumbo jet, could not have been a nicer, more comfortable way to ride home to family and friends in Seattle. Winship ceased operations long ago and Northwest is now part of Delta. But after more than four decades, the 747 is still flying around the world. That’s because Boeing wisely continued to improve it with the -400 series and now the 747-8. This reminds me how change is constant in aviation. One good thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the partnership between Boeing and Alaska Airlines. It’s a great relationship that’s endured for nearly half a century—ever since we bought three 727s in 1964. We’re proud to share a home-town with the company that builds all our airplanes and has played a pioneering role since aviation’s early days. One definition of a partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance mutual interests. Those words capture our relationship well. Thousands of us at Alaska and Boeing are focused on making the 737 successful, which has and will continue to advance both companies. It’s not always easy. Just as there’s constant change, there’s no shortage of challenges in the airline business. Skyrock-eting fuel costs, multiple bankruptcies and mergers, and never-ending competition are just a few. When Alaska was struggling with these challenges and needed to transform itself in the early 2000s, our hometown partner stepped up to help us. We’d been flying the 737 for years, but our acquisition of Next-Generation 737s represented a milestone that helped us spread our wings and become a national airline. Since 2001, we’ve added 16 cities east of the Rocky Mountains to our net-work. The 737-800 also gave us the capability to fly nonstop to Hawaii’s four major islands, helping our customers avoid changing planes in Honolulu and creating a great growth market for Alaska Airlines. Our customers are pleased with the Next-Generation 737 and so are we. The aircraft’s fuel efficiency has significantly reduced our costs and is the primary factor in cutting our carbon emissions by nearly one-third since 2004. The operational ver-satility of the NGs—and the added capacity of the -900ERs (Extended Range) we started flying last fall—are crucial so we can offer our customers low fares and compete more effectively against our biggest competitors: low-cost carriers. Our quest for efficiency is also why Alaska placed firm orders for another 50 airplanes, plus options, last fall to keep our growing fleet modern and why we decided to be the first airline to fly both the MAX-8 and MAX-9. Alaska’s future depends on the MAX meeting its promised fuel burn savings and delivering on schedule. Thanks for doing your part. Alaska Airlines took delivery of our 100th 737-NG in February. Like all of our aircraft, the nose bears a decal that no other airline has and it says, “Proudly All Boeing.” To you, our friends and neighbors at Boeing, thank you for building the world’s greatest airplanes! And we appreciate it when you choose to fly home with us. See you around town. n Seattle-based Alaska Airlines recently took delivery of its 100th Boeing Next-Generation 737. Mark Eliasen, the airline’s vice president of finance and treasurer, talks about the long-term relationship between Boeing and Alaska Airlines. PHOTOS: (Far left) Mark Eliasen, vice president of finance and treasurer, Alaska Airlines. BOB FERGUSON/BOEING (Above) An artist’s concept of the 737 MAX-8 in Alaska Airlines livery. ALASKA AIRLINES “We’re proud to share a hometown with the company that builds all our airplanes and has played a pioneering role since aviation’s early days.” – Mark Eliasen, vice president of finance and treasurer, Alaska Airlines
Frontiers May 2013 Issue
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