The conversion work will be carried out by Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (COOPESA) in Costa Rica, increasing the airline’s freighter fleet serving the state of Alaska from 3 to 5 aircraft.
The aircraft will come from Alaska Airlines’ existing passenger fleet and will be leased from BBAM.
Work will start in early 2023 with the final aircraft being completed in early 2024.
Adam Drouhard, Managing Director of Alaska Air Cargo, says, “The 737-800 aircraft provides 40% more load space than our current 737-700 freighters, essentially doubling Alaska Air Cargo's total freighter lift capacity. We look forward to getting these 737-800s into service to support Alaska's supply chain and connect cargo to over 100 cities we serve across North America.”
Marilyn Romano, Regional Vice President of Alaska Airlines, adds, “Whether it is vaccines, medicine, household supplies or fresh food, our freighters keep rural Alaska supplied and connected. With service to 20 communities across Alaska, and only three accessible by road, adding new aircraft to the current freighter fleet allows expansion of our vital services to all Alaskans. The additional freighter capacity also allows us to quickly move seafood and other commodities from Alaska to points throughout the US.”