ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Sept. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Cargo
today began a new chapter in its business, introducing the first
converted Boeing 737-700 cargo aircraft. The aircraft is the first
of its kind in the world and was converted from an all-passenger to
an all-freight aircraft. The aircraft is entering commercial
service today, carrying goods from Seattle to the state of Alaska.
"This one-of-a-kind aircraft marks the beginning of a new era at
Alaska Airlines," said Wayne Newton,
Alaska Airlines vice president of airport operations and customer
service. "With an all-freight fleet, our cargo business is now a
stand-alone operation, allowing us to better focus on the needs of
our cargo customers."
The aircraft was converted over 19 months in Tel Aviv by Israel Aerospace Industries.
Alaska pilots flew the converted
plane from Tel Aviv to
Belfast, Ireland on Sept.
6. From there, the plane touched down on U.S. soil in
Bangor, Maine and continued on to
Greensboro, North Carolina, for
scheduled maintenance. The aircraft was painted in Victorville, California before arriving in
Seattle.
Alaska will take delivery of
two more converted 737-700 freighters, allowing the new, all-cargo
fleet to carry 15 percent more capacity overall. Currently,
Alaska operates one 737-400
freighter and four 737-400 combi aircraft, which carry both
passengers and cargo. Alaska plans
to retire its entire 737-400 combi fleet by Oct. 18.
"The new freighter will transform our cargo business and allow
us to provide more efficient and consistent service," said
Jason Berry, Alaska Air Cargo
managing director. "Now we can move more freight than ever before,
and optimize schedules to meet the needs of our cargo
partners."
State of Alaska
Initially, the new fleet of all-freight aircraft will primarily
serve the state of Alaska, and
provide regular, scheduled service to 17 communities across the
state. Independent of Alaska Airlines' passenger operation, Alaska
Air Cargo will provide more scheduled freight service than any
other carrier in the state, and connect customers to 100
destinations across the airline's route network.
Freighter facts
- Nonstop range of 3,200 miles
- Maximum net payload of 42,000 pounds
- Though smaller in size, the 737-700 freighter can carry 10,000
more pounds of cargo per plane compared to Alaska's current 737-400 freighter.
- The registered tail number for Alaska's converted freighter is N627AS;
aircraft N626AS and N625AS are currently undergoing the conversion
process in Tel Aviv.
Editor's note: An image of the converted 737-700
freighter is available for download at
www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.
Alaska Air Cargo transports more than 170 million pounds of
cargo annually—including seafood, mail and freight —and operates
the most extensive air cargo operation on the U.S. West Coast of
any passenger airline.
Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional
partners, flies 40 million guests a year to 118 destinations with
an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, Costa
Rica and Cuba. With
Alaska and Alaska Global Partners,
guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900
destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer
Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the
J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive
years from 2008 to 2017. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched
reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com.
Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of
Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines