Alaska Air Group Inc Stock Price, News & Analysis

Alaska Airlines (ALK) announced its first-ever nonstop service between Seattle and Rome, starting May 2026. The service will operate four times weekly using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, marking the first direct connection between the Emerald City and the Eternal City. Flights will be available for purchase in fall 2025. Rome becomes Alaska's third widebody international route from Seattle after Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon, advancing the airline's 'Alaska Accelerate' strategic plan to generate $1 billion in incremental profit following its combination with Hawaiian Airlines. The new route will serve Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino International Airport (FCO), a SkyTrax 5-Star hub airport undergoing a €9 billion expansion, offering connections to over 230 destinations across 80 countries.

Alaska Airlines (ALK) is elevating its First Class dining experience with the launch of Chef's (tray) Table, featuring rotating menus by acclaimed West Coast chefs. The program debuts with James Beard award-winning Chef Brady Ishiwata Williams from Seattle's Tomo restaurant, following a successful collaboration with San Francisco's Chef Brandon Jew. The new menu, available exclusively in First Class on select East Coast routes from Seattle starting June 5, includes signature dishes like Mochi Waffle & Fried Chicken for breakfast and Klingemann Farms Glazed Short Rib for dinner. Alaska Airlines also expanded its Main Cabin offerings with a new plant-based grain bowl and continues to offer more inflight dining choices than any other U.S. carrier through its pre-order program.

Alaska Airlines is helping Vinton Smith complete his mission to donate blood in all 50 states by sponsoring his family's travel to Hawaii, his final destination. On June 14, 2025 (World Blood Donor Day), Vinton will make his final donation at the Blood Bank of Hawaii, accompanied by his wife, children, and mother - making it a three-generation event. Throughout his journey, Vinton has donated blood 139 times and platelets 45 times, totaling 239 units.

To promote blood donation, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are partnering with the Blood Bank of Hawaii for a sweepstakes through June 8, offering two pairs of roundtrip tickets to any Alaska/Hawaiian destination in North America and Hawaii. Additionally, Alaska Airlines previously donated $10,000 to the Blood Bank of Alaska when Vinton made his 49th state donation.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) announced it will webcast a fireside chat featuring Brett Catlin, VP of loyalty, alliances and sales, and Ryan St. John, VP of finance, planning and investor relations, at the 2025 Bank of America Industrials, Transportation & Airlines Key Leaders Conference. The presentation is scheduled for May 15, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. ET and will be available at news.alaskaair.com/investor-relations.

Alaska Air Group operates Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Horizon Air, with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. The company serves over 140 destinations across North America, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific. Hawaiian Airlines is set to join the oneworld Alliance in 2026.

Alaska Airlines (ALK) has launched daily nonstop service between Seattle and Tokyo Narita, operated by Hawaiian Airlines' widebody aircraft, marking a significant expansion of its international operations. The service represents the beginning of Alaska's ambitious plan to serve at least 12 international destinations with widebody aircraft from Seattle by 2030.

The Seattle-Tokyo route, operated with Hawaiian's A330 aircraft, offers three service classes: Business Class, Extra Comfort, and Main Cabin. The service includes complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi, extensive entertainment options, and premium dining. A second international route to Seoul Incheon will begin on September 12, 2025.

This expansion leverages Seattle's strategic location as the closest U.S. mainland connection to Tokyo, being 7% closer than San Francisco and 13% closer than Los Angeles. The route has shown strong demand, with ticket sales from over 80 U.S. cities and approximately 400 daily passengers in each direction.

Alaska Air Group (ALK) has announced key leadership promotions to enhance safety and internal audit functions across its subsidiaries. Brooke Vatheuer has been promoted to senior vice president of safety and audit programs, overseeing safety and aviation security programs across Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon Air, and McGee Air Services. Max Tidwell continues as vice president of safety and security, while Allie Wittenberger has been elected vice president of audit programs.

These appointments support the company's focus on safety as its top priority and align with Alaska and Hawaiian's international growth strategy. The reorganized structure ensures direct accountability to Board committees, with both safety and audit teams working under Vatheuer's leadership to strengthen safety and accountability measures.

Alaska Air Group (ALK) has appointed Pete Shimer, former interim CEO of Deloitte, to its board of directors, effective immediately. Shimer, who is retiring from Deloitte after a 41-year career, will serve on the board's Audit and Safety Committees. He replaces Ken Thompson, who is retiring after 25 years of service.

Shimer brings extensive financial and operational expertise from his various C-suite positions at Deloitte. A University of Washington graduate, he serves on the university's Foundation board and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center board. Thompson, the outgoing director, was notably a founding member of the board's Safety Committee following flight 261 and was recognized as one of the 100 most influential corporate directors by NACD in 2019.

With Shimer's election, Alaska Air Group's board now comprises 9 independent directors and CEO Ben Minicucci as a non-independent director.

Horizon Air's aircraft technicians and fleet service agents have ratified a new four-year contract with over 74% approval. The agreement includes wage scale increases, separate vacation and sick leave accruals, and additional compensation benefits. The technicians maintain Horizon's fleet of 45 Embraer 175 aircraft. The contract negotiation, led by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), ensures continued service across Horizon's network of more than 55 cities throughout North America, with bases in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. The agreement demonstrates Horizon's commitment to its maintenance workforce while positioning the airline for future growth.

Alaska Airlines (ALK) has partnered with Jumio to integrate AI-driven biometric identity verification into its mobile app, streamlining the check-in process for international travelers. The integration allows passengers with U.S. and Canadian passports to verify their identity directly through the app, eliminating the need to wait in line at check-in counters.

The partnership is part of Alaska Airlines' broader initiative to enhance guest experience through self-service digital offerings, aiming to help travelers reach security in five minutes or less. Jumio's comprehensive solution can verify over 5,000 ID subtypes globally, including passports, driver's licenses, and ID cards, and can process both individual and multi-passenger itineraries automatically.