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Alaska Airlines is a West Coast-based carrier headquartered in Seattle, Washington, operating as part of Alaska Air Group — which now also includes Hawaiian Airlines (acquired September 2024) and Horizon Air. Alaska traces its roots to bush flying in 1932, is a member of the oneworld alliance, operates approximately 331 mainline aircraft to destinations across the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Belize, the Bahamas, and (soon) Europe, and employs approximately 3,400+ pilots on the Alaska certificate. Ben Minicucci has been CEO since March 31, 2021.
For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame Alaska is this: it is a West Coast powerhouse that just completed the most transformative acquisition in its history — the $1.9 billion purchase of Hawaiian Airlines. Alaska is now simultaneously a domestic Boeing 737 operator and, through Hawaiian, a transpacific widebody operator with Boeing 787s and Airbus A330s. The airline is integrating two pilot groups, two fleet types, two cultures, and two networks into a single operation while expanding internationally for the first time with 787 service from Seattle to London and Rome in spring 2026.
Alaska has consistently been ranked as one of the best airlines in America. It won the J.D. Power award for customer satisfaction multiple times, has been a member of oneworld since March 2021, and is known for operational reliability, West Coast hub dominance (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Anchorage), and a strong employee culture.
Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.