It’s a fascinating time for Alaska Air Group, given the company’s acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. Along those lines, an interesting development has just been revealed about the company’s Boeing 787-9 fleet. Separately, I’ll cover how the airline has also announced new routes from Seattle (SEA) to London (LHR) and Keflavik (KEF).
Alaska unveils new Boeing 787 look for global experience
With Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines now being part of the same company, we know that the two brands will maintain their distinct identities. When it comes to wide body aircraft, the plan is for all Boeing 787-9s to fly under Alaska’s branding, while all Airbus A330-200s will continue to fly under Hawaiian’s branding.
The company has announced that all Boeing 787-9s will soon be repainted in an updated Alaska livery, described as the first phrase of a new global experience for long haul flying. Alaska is of course trying to turn Seattle into a global gateway, with the hope of having 12 long haul routes by 2030. The airline has 17 Dreamliners on order, to fuel that growth.
The new livery is described as an evolution of the Alaska brand, where the Alaska name remains, but with an all-new look and feel. The plan is for this new livery to debut as of January 2026, and by the spring of 2026, all Dreamliners will feature the new design.
The new 787-9 exterior design draws inspiration from the natural wonder of the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights), which “captivates global audiences, and it’s an experience that’s well known across the state of Alaska.” Here’s how Alaska describes some key elements of the new design:
- “A palette of deep midnight blues and lush emerald greens channels the aurora’s energy and spirit into our brand”
- “Flowing aura lines – seen in our current core livery and premium cabins – guide the design with light, motion and flow”
- “We also looked to our heritage, incorporating thoughtful details like an eye-catching horizontal stripe along the fuselage – a contemporary nod to our classic liveries of the 70s and 80s that bridges our past to our future”
These Dreamliners feature very nice interiors, though I’m curious to see how they’re updated, to maybe have more of an Alaska feel rather than a Hawaiian feel. Alaska and Hawaiian are working toward being on a single operating certificate, and work groups haven’t yet been integrated, so there’s no denying that there’s still a bit of confusion when it comes to the whole operation’s branding.
Here’s how Andrew Harrison, Alaska’s Chief Customer Officer, describes these updates:
“Our new 787 exterior embodies Alaska’s transition to a global airline with beauty, grace and a nod to our heritage. As we significantly expand to new destinations around the globe, we’re eager for more and more travelers to recognize our new livery as being Alaska Airlines and appreciate the outstanding service we’ve long been known for.”
How Alaska Air Group’s overall branding will evolve
As mentioned above, Alaska Air Group’s long term plan is for all Boeing 787-9s to be based in Seattle, and all Airbus A330-200s to be based in Honolulu (HNL), so you can expect the branding of aircraft to reflect that.
Interestingly, Alaska isn’t updating its livery on all aircraft. The above livery will be specific to the Dreamliners. Alaska’s narrow body aircraft will continue to feature the Alaska Native design, while Hawaiian’s aircraft will continue to feature the Pualani design.
Bottom line
Alaska Airlines is introducing a new livery for its Boeing 787-9s, which in the long run, will all be operating long haul flights out of Seattle. The new livery looks fantastic, if you ask me, and it’s cool to finally get more of a sense of Alaska’s long term fleet and branding strategy.
Expect 787s to all be based in Seattle, while A330s will all be based in Honolulu. It should be an exciting several years for Alaska Air Group.
What do you make of Alaska’s new Dreamliner livery?
