Alaska to decide in 2019 whether to retain 2 aircraft types
Alaska Air Group will decide in 2019 if it will continue operating both Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies or shift back to a single-type fleet, says COO Ben Minicucci. Minicucci did not elaborate, and the company declines to provide further comment. But questions about Alaska's long-term fleet plan have been unanswered since the company acquired Virgin America in late 2016. Prior to that deal, Alaska's subsidiary Alaska Airlines operated only Boeing 737s – a strategy viewed as contributing to Alaska's success as a profitable, fast-growing company. Minicucci says fleet integration work proved costlier than Alaska had anticipated. Indeed, executives have said the entire merger proved more expensive than Alaska anticipated, driving down profits in recent quarters. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2018-11-30/unaligned/alaska-to-decide-in-2019-whether-to-retain-2-aircraft-types
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Alaska to decide in 2019 whether to retain 2 aircraft types
Alaska Air Group will decide in 2019 if it will continue operating both Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies or shift back to a single-type fleet, says COO Ben Minicucci. Minicucci did not elaborate, and the company declines to provide further comment. But questions about Alaska's long-term fleet plan have been unanswered since the company acquired Virgin America in late 2016. Prior to that deal, Alaska's subsidiary Alaska Airlines operated only Boeing 737s – a strategy viewed as contributing to Alaska's success as a profitable, fast-growing company. Minicucci says fleet integration work proved costlier than Alaska had anticipated. Indeed, executives have said the entire merger proved more expensive than Alaska anticipated, driving down profits in recent quarters. <br/>
