Alaska Airlines has taken delivery of its sixth Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, a factory-fresh jet (registered N785HA) that left Boeing's Charleston plant in South Carolina on a nearly five-hour flight to Los Angeles before final checks and a repositioning to its Seattle-Tacoma hub. It arrives wearing the airline's Aurora livery, a design inspired by the northern lights that signals the carrier's international ambitions.

The delivery matters because Alaska's long-haul network is growing fast. Since acquiring Hawaiian Airlines in September 2024, it has folded the Dreamliners into a rapidly expanding intercontinental operation. Eleven more 787s are on order, taking the firm commitment to 17 aircraft. The next arrives in 2027, then four in 2028 — those will be the larger 787-10 variant — with the rest expected by 2032.

For travellers, the near-term news is the route map. Alaska already flies the 787 from Seattle to Tokyo Narita, Seoul Incheon and London Heathrow year-round, plus summer service to Rome. In May 2027, Athens (from May 12) and Paris (from May 25) join as summer routes — Athens becomes the airline's longest flight at roughly 6,150 miles. Management wants 10 intercontinental destinations by 2028 and 15 by 2030, with unnamed Asian cities in the pipeline; Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Sydney and Madrid have all been floated as possibilities.

Cabins are getting an upgrade too. From late 2027, existing Dreamliners will be retrofitted with new Aurora Suites and Premium Reserve seating — 34 business-class suites on the 787-9s and 40 on the 787-10s — lifting premium seating to about 46% of the refurbished 78-9s, up from 38% today. The jets currently carry 300 seats: 34 lie-flat business suites, 79 Extra Comfort seats and 187 in economy.

If you're planning a trip from Seattle, this is good news for both choice and fares. A second widebody carrier pushing hard across the Atlantic and Pacific gives West Coast travellers more nonstop options — and competition on routes where one-carrier pricing has been the norm. Premium-heavy configurations also mean more lie-flat award and upgrade space, if you book early.

Full story via Simple Flying.