Betting big on a recovery in air travel and on the Boeing 737 MAX as the jet for its future, Alaska Airlines on Monday announced a firm order for a dozen more MAXs — its third order for the airplane since the Federal Aviation Administration ungrounded the jet in November.
“These aircraft are a prudent, long-term investment in our business,” said Nat Pieper, Alaska Airlines senior vice president in charge of fleet planning. “We are excited to accelerate Alaska’s growth.”
In December, Alaska ordered 23 Boeing MAXs to add to the 45 it already had on order, with purchase options to buy an additional 52 MAXs on good financial terms later.
In May, it exercised options to add 13 more MAXs while also buying 17 Embraer E175 regional jets as it anticipated an easing of the pandemic and a summer surge in air travel.