Alaska Air Cargo

New larger freighters will connect Alaska communities with L.A. in time for peak fishing season 

Photo by Ingrid Barrentine / Alaska Airlines

Alaska Air Cargo’s growing freighter fleet will expand its reach to Los Angeles (LAX) this spring – the first time our dedicated freighters, which serve 20 communities across the state of Alaska, will connect to cities beyond Seattle (SEA) in the lower 48. 

The two newest 737-800BCF freighters can carry 10,000 more pounds than our three 737-700 freighters. Many of the groceries, household goods and essential medicine shipping into the state of Alaska come from Southern California, and this new freighter route will streamline that supply chain, said Adam Drouhard, Managing Director for Alaska Air Cargo.  

The bigger freighters will also be in full service in time for the height of the salmon fishing season, allowing fresh sustainable sockeye from Bristol Bay and other fisheries to reach markets across the lower 48 more quickly. 

“We are excited to build on our long history serving the state of Alaska and forge new connections between communities there and cities across the U.S.,” Drouhard said. 

More freighters in the schedule serving the state of Alaska will also improve the reliability of that service. “Our markets in the state will get more dedicated service that’s not shared,” he said. “We’ll be able to spread that schedule across more aircraft.”  

Bethel (BET), Juneau (JNU) and Sitka (SIT) will be among the first communities to benefit from the bigger freighters and more frequent service. The aircraft’s expanded range also will allow the cargo team to explore other new routes, such as a possible nonstop from King Salmon (AKN) to Seattle (SEA).   

For the latest updates: Check our freighter schedule

Learn more: Freighter fleet dimensions and details 

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