Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines is a major U.S. airline founded on 14 April 1932 as McGee Airways, with its first service between Anchorage and Bristol Bay. It adopted its present name on 2 May 1944 and is headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, with Anchorage as one of six hubs.[1]

Early years

Linious McGee founded McGee Airways in 1932, flying between Anchorage and Bristol Bay. He sold it in 1934 to Star Air Service, which bought Alaska Interior Airlines in 1937. Raymond Marshall bought Star in 1941, and in 1942 the airline absorbed three other Alaska carriers and became Alaska Star Airlines. It acquired its first multi-engine aircraft, a Lockheed Lodestar, in 1943 and took the name Alaska Airlines on 2 May 1944. It was the first carrier certified to operate DC-3s on skis, began helicopter operations for North Slope oil exploration in 1949, making it Alaska’s first rotary-wing operator, and took part that year in the airlift of about 49,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel.[1]

Growth and regulation

In 1951 the Civil Aeronautics Board granted a temporary certificate for routes from Anchorage and Fairbanks to Seattle and Portland, made permanent in 1957. The airline introduced pressurised DC-6 aircraft and a “Golden Nugget” service with an onboard saloon and piano, flew its first jet, a Convair 880, in 1961 and received Boeing 727-100s in 1966. In 1968 it bought Alaska Coastal Airlines and Cordova Airlines, adding seaplane operations. In the early 1970s its logo changed to a smiling Inuk man, which it still uses in updated form, and it returned to profit in 1973.[1]

Alaska Air Group

After deregulation in 1978 the airline expanded along the West Coast, and in 1985 it formed Alaska Air Group as a holding company. Horizon Air joined the group in 1986. Alaska was the first U.S. airline to sell tickets on the Internet in 1995. In 2016 the group completed its acquisition of Virgin America, and the airlines merged operations in 2018.[1]

Hawaiian Airlines merger

The merger with Hawaiian Airlines was announced in December 2023 for $1.9 billion in cash plus about $900 million in assumed debt. The U.S. Department of Transportation approved it on 17 September 2024, and it was completed on 18 September 2024. Both brands remain separate. Alaska’s first long-haul route, Seattle to Tokyo, launched on 12 May 2025 using Hawaiian aircraft, and London, Rome and Keflavík service followed in spring 2026.[1]

Network and operations

The network centres on the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska serves Alaska destinations including Adak, Fairbanks, Juneau, Nome and Utqiaġvik. It runs seven Alaska Lounges and the largest cargo operation of any U.S. passenger airline on the West Coast. Regional partners are Horizon Air and SkyWest. Its frequent-flyer programme is Atmos Rewards, formerly Mileage Plan, and the page lists about 22,377 employees and 128 destinations; in 2025 revenue was $9.1 billion.[1]

FAQs

When was Alaska Airlines founded? 14 April 1932, as McGee Airways.

Where is its headquarters? SeaTac, Washington.

Does it have an Anchorage hub? Yes, Anchorage is one of its six hubs.

Did it merge with Hawaiian Airlines? Yes, the merger was completed on 18 September 2024.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Alaska Airlines

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 13, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue