While Alaska Airlines flies a fairly uniform fleet of Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies, it has incredible diversity when it comes to the liveries these jets wear. Let's take a look at some of the different causes for which the Seattle-based oneworld member has got creative.

Sustainability

On multiple occasions, Alaska Airlines has used special liveries for sustainability projects. As seen in the photograph above, one of these saw the carrier join forces with US planemaker Boeing when it offered the services of one of its incoming 737 MAX aircraft as the latest ecoDemonstrator jet. Simple Flying had the chance to take a look onboard in October.

Alaska Airlines, Boeing 737 MAX, Orca Livery
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

One of the carrier's best-named jets with an environmental twist is its Boeing 'Salmon-Thirty-Salmon.' As seen above, the plane's fuselage has a fishy aesthetic. It promotes the sustainable consumption of Alaskan seafood. One of the carrier's new MAXs will have an Orca-themed livery, which is thought but not confirmed to have an environmental angle.

Alaska Airlines, Boeing 737 MAX, Orca Livery
Alaska Airlines' Orca-themed livery was first spotted in Renton in December 2021. Photo: Preston Fiedler

Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.

Sport

Alaska Airlines also takes pride in the sporting prowess of cities on the US West Coast. With this in mind, it has devised liveries celebrating teams such as the San Francisco Giants.

Alaska A320 New Livery
The San Francisco Giants last won baseball's World Series in 2014. Photo: Alaska Airlines

When it comes to ice hockey, the Seattle Kraken also have a special livery.

Alaska Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are the newest NHL team. Photo: Alaska Airlines

For American football, it went personal with a livery dedicated entirely to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who led the team to a dominant SuperBowl victory in 2014.

Alaska Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson has starred for the Seattle Seahawks since 2012. Photo: Alaska Airlines

Military tributes

Alaska Airlines has also devised a series of liveries to pay tribute to the military. Known as 'Honoring Those Who Serve,' this paint scheme can be found on two of its Boeing 737s, as well as an Embraer 175 that flies for Horizon Air on behalf of Alaska Airlines.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737
One of Alaska Airlines' military-themed Boeing 737s. Photo: Tomás Del Coro

Education

Additionally, several Horizon Dash 8 turboprops have liveries celebrating US universities. Elsewhere in the domain of education, Alaska Airlines has partnered with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to create a special livery for a 737 it has named 'Our Commitment.' This paint scheme celebrates 15 years of Alaska Airlines' partnership with the UNCF.

Alaska Airlines, Boeing 737 MAX, Orca Livery
Alaska partnered with employees to create its UNCF 'Our Commitment' livery. Photo: Alaska Airlines

Disney!

For the young at heart, Alaska Airlines has two liveries that celebrate the wonderful world of Disney. Known as 'Spirit Of Disneyland II' and 'Friendship And Beyond At Disneyland Resort,' these colorful jets feature characters from some of Disney's most-loved films.

Azul, Airbus A320neo, Mickey Mouse
Today there are dozens of Disney inspired aircraft. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Alaska Airlines has also produced special liveries to celebrate events such as LGBTQ+ Pride and its merger with Virgin America. It even devised a paint scheme known as 'Spirit Of The Islands' based on a design submitted by Honolulu high school student Aaron Nee in 2013. In short, if colorful special liveries are your thing, look no further than Alaska Airlines!

Which of these liveries is your favorite? Have you ever flown on one of these colorful aircraft? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!