Hot Off The Assembly Line: Alaska Airlines Takes Delivery Of 6th Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Published Oct 29, 2026, 4:39 PM EDT Paul has had a career of 25+ years focused on the international technology sector, which has taken him to over 100 countries. Along the way, he developed a deep love for aviation, with a travel bucket list measured by aircraft types flown rather than destinations reached. Now he brings that avgeek passion, along with the journalism experience he accumulated early in his career, to write insightful pieces for Simple Flying. Alaska Airlines has welcomed its sixth Boeing 787-9, with the aircraft departing Boeing's Charleston, South Carolina, facility earlier this morning, bound for Los Angeles. The aircraft, identified as N785HA, represents another milestone in the carrier's ambitious long-haul expansion, which has accelerated considerably since its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. The latest arrival increases Alaska's Dreamliner fleet to six aircraft, with another 11 on order. The airline is preparing to launch additional European services in 2027, while its longer-term plans call for an expanding international network supported by both the 787-9 and the larger Boeing 787-10. Alaska Welcomes Its Sixth Dreamliner Credit: Simple Flying The newest aircraft is a factory-fresh 787-9, manufacturer serial number 66469 and Boeing line number 1340. The aircraft, which has been doing test and acceptance flights for the past few weeks, departed Charleston at 11:46 AM local time for a nearly five-hour flight to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). There the aircraft will undergo initial ramp checks, hardware customization, and staging, before being repositioned north to Alaska's hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The aircraft wears Alaska's distinctive Aurora global livery, introduced as part of its international transformation. The airline describes the design as inspired by the northern lights, reflecting both its heritage and its ambitions as a global carrier. Discussing the Dreamliner investment, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci recently said: "These planes will fuel our expansion to more destinations across the globe and ensure our guests travel aboard the newest, most fuel-efficient and state-of-the-art aircraft. We are also incredibly proud to be partnering with Boeing, a Pacific Northwest neighbor and a company that stands as a symbol of American innovation and manufacturing.” The new Dreamliner retains the original 300-seat configuration inherited from Hawaiian Airlines, comprising 34 lie-flat business-class suites, 79 Extra Comfort seats, and 187 economy seats. Hawaiian received its first 787-9 in February 2024, before Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition that September. Since then, the Dreamliners have become central to Alaska's international expansion, with the newest aircraft joining a fleet serving destinations across Europe and Asia. Eleven More Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners Are On Order Credit: Simple Flying Alaska's record-breaking January 2026 aircraft order included five additional Dreamliners, exercising its remaining options and increasing its firm fleet commitment to 17 aircraft. With the sixth now delivered, 11 remain outstanding. The order will introduce the larger 787-10 alongside the existing 787-9 fleet, providing more capacity for the airline's expanding international operation. Deliveries will accelerate from 2028. Speaking to Airliner World earlier this month, Alaska's SVP of Fleet Shane Jones, confirmed that aircraft number seven is expected in 2027, followed by four in 2028. Alaska's regulatory fleet forecast identifies all four 2028 deliveries as 787-10s, with the remaining aircraft deliveries yet to be determined, but expected by 2032. Year Deliveries Year-End Fleet 2026 1 787-9 6 2027 1 787-9 7 2028 4 787-10s 11 2029–2032 6, timing TBC 17 The new aircraft will also support Alaska's premium-cabin transformation. Beginning in late 2027, the airline plans to retrofit its existing Dreamliners with Aurora Suites and Premium Reserve seating. Updated 787-9s will feature 34 business-class suites, while the 787-10s will offer 40. Alaska ultimately expects premium seating to account for approximately 46% of its refurbished 787-9s, compared with 38% today. Where Could Alaska's Dreamliners Fly Next? Credit: Alaska Airlines Alaska currently operates Dreamliners from Seattle to Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT), Seoul's Incheon International Airport (ICN), London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), with the latter operating seasonally. Two more European destinations will join in May 2027: Athens, launching May 12, and Paris, beginning May 25. Athens will become Alaska's longest route, at approximately 6,150 miles (9,897 km), with both services operating through October. Destination Weekly Flights Seasonality Tokyo Narita 7 Year-round Seoul Incheon 5 Year-round London Heathrow 7 Year-round Rome Fiumicino 7 Summer Athens 3 Summer, from May 2027 Paris Charles de Gaulle 5 Summer, from May 2027 At its September Investor Day, Alaska outlined plans to grow its intercontinental network to 10 destinations by 2028 and 15 by 2030, although some will use aircraft other than Dreamliners. Management indicated that another Asian destination was under development, without identifying the city. The Investor Day presentation also explicitly linked network expansion to the arrival of additional widebody aircraft. Several potential destinations stand out. Ho Chi Minh City has been repeatedly linked to Alaska's ambitions through earlier executive comments about serving Vietnam, while Bangkok has also emerged as a possibility. Neither has nonstop flights from Seattle today. Sydney would represent a significant move into the Australian market, while Madrid could expand Alaska's European network and offer onward connections through oneworld partner Iberia. None of these routes has been announced yet, and Alaska will also need to strike a balance between optimal range and capacity planning as it moves to operating two Dreamliner variants. With 11 additional Dreamliners coming, today's delivery marks another step toward Alaska Airlines' substantially larger global network.