Alaska Airlines launched regional jet services in the state of Alaska on the Embraer E175 aircraft. The airline announced that the E175 would be operated by Alaska Airlines’ regional partner and sister-company Horizon Air. The air carrier Alaska Airlines claimed that moving 76-seat Embraer E175 jets onto Alaska routes would help to increase regional flight frequencies among Anchorage and Fairbanks.
After reducing Alaska services in March 2020, Alaska Airlines decided to restore and increase the daily frequency of domestic routes to Anchorage and Fairbanks as well as to provide ceaseless operations to King Salmon and Dillingham.
According to the announcement, the Embraer E175 jets would support additional regional routes and keep locals connected within the state. Alaska Airlines claimed that the jet equipped with 76 seats would be “the ideal size jet for many routes where larger jets were not the best option throughout the year”. The airline stated that the regional Embraer E175 aircraft was configured with 12 seats in First Class, 12 in Premium Class and 52 in the Main Cabin.
Joe Sprague, the President of Horizon Air, outlined that the E175 would be the “perfect aircraft to complement current flying Alaska”.
According to Planespotters.com data, Alaska Airlines has a total of 62 Embraer E175 aircraft on its fleet. In comparison, its sister-company Horizon Air operates a fleet of 30 Embraer E175s.