Alaska Airlines has officially retired the first-ever Boeing 737-900 at the age of 24 years.
Historically significant as the original model of its type, the aircraft served as a prototype for extensive testing of the Boeing 737-900. Alaska Airlines took the first delivery of this model on May 15, 2001. However, the 737-900 did not gain popularity, with only 52 units being delivered before it was replaced by the improved 737-900ER.
According to the data from Flightradar24, the aircraft was flown to Pinal Airpark (MZJ) in Arizona for retirement on April 8, 2025. It took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) as flight AS9414 at around 11:30 local time and landed at Pinal Airpark at 13:53 local time.
Video footage shared on X captures the final flight of this historic aircraft as it made its last departure before retiring from active duty.
Alaska Airlines retired the world’s very first Boeing 737-900 on Tuesday at just 24 years of age. The aircraft was flown to Marana, Arizona—and we were lucky to catch its final LAX departure during Sunday’s Airline Videos Live broadcast from Imperial Hill. @AlaskaAir pic.twitter.com/NUJgXjKcaH
— AIRLINE VIDEOS (@airlinevideos) April 10, 2025
The day before its retirement flight, N302AS completed its final service, with four stops at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Alaska Airlines was the first to operate the 737-900 back in 2001, recalling that Iditarod Trail sled-dog race champion Doug Swingley and his team escorted the aircraft out of the factory for its world premiere rollout celebration in Renton, Washington.
Additionally, N302AS was one of three 737-900 aircraft in the Alaska Airlines fleet that were manufactured without winglets, making them quite uncommon in the skies.
Upon its retirement, only four airframes of this aircraft type remain in the airline’s fleet, all of which are set to be phased out by the end of 2025.