Alaska Airlines' new West Coast Wonders livery has officially been revealed. Flying on a new Boeing 737 MAX 9, the aircraft's distinctive livery will be quite noticeable to passengers. Designed to honor the natural oceanic beauty of the coast it calls home, the livery features a series of orcas painted on the fuselage, leading to a detailed tail.
Alaska Airlines' new West Coast Wonders livery
Alaska Airlines has a new livery flying on a Boeing 737 MAX 9. While the livery has been spotted before and has also made some commercial flights, the airline has gone public with more details on the livery, which joins a host of other special liveries flying in the Alaska fleet.
Alaska states that the West Coast Wonders livery is "inspired by the beautiful places we fly to and encourages everyone to take action with us to protect the planet." To that extent, the aircraft features a series of orcas swimming across the blue fuselage, symbolizing the ocean, culminating in an orca leaping out of the water on the tail. Both sides of the aircraft show the same design.
Orcas and the West Coast
Orcas are a big part of the ecosystem in the Pacific Ocean and are also a draw for tourists. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, whales on the West Coast can be found as far north as Alaska and south into central California and beyond. These large mammals typically travel in pods and are common sights off the coast, depending on the season.
One of the big draws to Alaska and the West Coast are cruises, which typically operate through the northern summer season. Several of these operate as part of larger multi-night cruise packages, while others, especially cruises off of California, operate as quick daytime runs. Both of these leisure-oriented offerings draw tourists, and Alaska Airlines flies its fair share of these travelers to the West Coast, which it calls home.
The Boeing 737 MAX 9
The aircraft sporting this livery is registered as N932AK. According to data from Flightradar24.com, the aircraft has been flying commercially since mid-January. The planes have been doing some hops across the West Coast, and also flights farther out, to destinations like Hawaii. Anchorage, Alaska, is also a popular city for the aircraft, which makes sense, given the ties of Alaska to whale-watching and the waters around the state serving as a natural habitat for these magnificent creatures.
Inside, the aircraft sports the standard Alaska Airlines configuration. This includes room for 16 up in recliner-style first class. This is followed by 24 extra-legroom economy seats, and 138 standard economy seats. Alaska advertises complimentary streaming entertainment is available onboard its MAX 9 aircraft.
Part of the reason for this special livery is to highlight the environmental sustainability goals the airline set for 2025 and beyond. Alaska Airlines is committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, with near-term targets to maintain carbon-neutral growth from 2019. A big part of this goal involves renewing the fleet with newer, more fuel-efficient MAX 9 aircraft. Compared to older generation aircraft, the MAX is up to 22% more fuel-efficient, and Alaska continues to invest in sustainable aviation fuel and target operational efficiencies to reduce its emissions. With orcas flying on the side of an Alaska Airlines jet, it represents the carrier's commitment to reaching its environmental goals and helping with conserving the awe-inspiring orca population in the Pacific Ocean.