Alaska Airlines announced July 21 that it will add four 737-800BCF freighters to our dedicated cargo fleet, effectively doubling freighter capacity and increasing reliability for the communities and businesses we serve around the Pacific and beyond.  

At least two freighters will serve Hawai‘i, bringing the opportunity to move palletized cargo between the islands and the continental U.S. The plan is to paint the aircraft based in Honolulu (HNL) in a Hawaiian Airlines cargo livery. The other two freighters will serve the 19 communities we reach across the state of Alaska. The four new aircraft are expected to enter service in the first half of 2027.

The expansion will give us a total of nine dedicated freighters in our Alaska and Hawaiian Air Cargo freighter fleet, strengthening the network that connects communities across Alaska and Hawai‘i to the contiguous U.S., and linking them into our broader international cargo network. Communities across both states depend on us to ship vital groceries, goods and medicines to and from locations accessible only by air and sea.

For Hawai’i, shippers can expect:

• New reliable shipping options for valuable time-sensitive products, especially in the seafood, agriculture and e-commerce industries.
• The opportunity to move palletized shipments between the four largest Hawaiian islands and the continental U.S. — and beyond, to international destinations in Asia, Europe, the South Pacific and Central America.

For Alaska, customers can look forward to:

• More capacity for the essential goods we deliver across the state — with the 737-800 freighters carrying 40% more than our 737-700 freighters per departure.
• Improved reliability and more flexibility to allocate aircraft where they’re needed most and meet cargo demand across our growing global network. 

“Alaska and Hawaiian Air Cargo have remarkable histories of supporting our communities and customers, and these freighters build on that legacy with new opportunities to connect those communities to the world,” said Ian Morgan, Vice President of Cargo at Alaska Airlines. “This fleet expansion opens up international shipping opportunities for seafood and other time-sensitive commodities, while improving our capacity to reliably ship the essential goods our communities need, such as medicine, household supplies, and groceries.”   

“Cargo is an integral part of Alaska Airlines’ strategy for growth, and these freighters accelerate our investment in that strategy. This will allow us to put aircraft in position and offer shipping options we’ve never been able to do before, creating exciting opportunities on the horizon for our local and global customers.” — Ian Morgan, Vice President of Cargo, Alaska Airlines   

As the only legacy passenger airline with a dedicated cargo fleet, Alaska Air Cargo carries more than 370 million pounds of cargo each year to more than 100 destinations across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. The additional four 737-800 freighters represent a continued investment in fast, reliable shipping, while positioning the airline’s cargo business for future growth.  

 About Alaska Air Cargo and Hawaiian Air Cargo 

Alaska and Hawaiian Air Cargo together serve 110-plus destinations around the world with more than 1,300 daily flights. We offer a variety of reliable shipping products, a long history of cold-chain innovations and unmatched customer service throughout our shared network. Alaska Air Cargo is the only passenger airline in the U.S. with dedicated cargo planes, and our freighter fleet serves 19 communities across the state of Alaska. Our cargo teams also offer belly-cargo service on more than 400 passenger planes - including B787 and A330 widebody aircraft - serving the continental U.S., Canada, Hawai'i, Japan, South Korea, the South Pacific, Mexico, Central America and Europe. With more than 90 years of experience carrying vital shipments to remote communities, our air cargo teams share deep connections to the communities where we live, work and fly.