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Seattle-based Alaska Airlines has recently catapulted itself into one of the largest airline operators in the United States. From a small regional carrier, this airline has defied all odds, and through various airline acquisitions (Virgin America and Hawaiian Airlines), the carrier proudly now maintains a stronghold on West Coast operations in the US. The airline's mainline fleet is currently solely made up of the Boeing 737 family of aircraft. This will change later this year as the airline welcomes its own Boeing 787 aircraft, a transfer from its recent merger with Hawaiian Airlines. These widebody planes will fuel the carriers' long-haul ambitions - such as their current operations to Tokyo and Seoul (albeit with a Hawaiian Airlines aircraft), and eventual introduction of services to Europe, including Rome, London, and Reykjavik. The Boeing 737 MAX According to ch-aviation, Alaska Airlines currently operates a total of 238 Boeing 737 airplanes, made up from the 737-700, -800, -900ER, MAX 8, and MAX 9. An additional 63 MAX 10 are on order with deliveries expected from 2027, following the aircraft certification. In addition to this, the airline is still gradually accepting the MAX 8 aircraft, with 11 more still on its order books. The MAX 9 is configured to carry up to 178 passengers in a multi-class configuration. There are two layouts, one with 16 First Class, 24 Premium, and 138 economy, while the other is 16 First, 30 Premium, and 132 economy. The MAX 9 is a popular aircraft choice for short and medium-haul carriers, and replaced the Boeing 737-900. The airplane has a longer fuselage than the MAX 8, and has a maximum take-off weight of 194,700 pounds (88,300 kg). The aircraft is powered with two CFM International LEAP-1B engines and has a range of up to 3,300 nautical miles (3,800 miles / 6,100 kilometers). The airplane has a cruising speed of around Mach 0.79, which equates to 453 knots (521 miles per hour / 839 kilometers per hour). As the largest subtype in Alaska's fleet, Simple Flying is analyzing the longest nonstop destinations served with this iconic aircraft in 2025, using data from Cirium, an online aviation analytics company. Longest Flights With The MAX 9 Hitting the top of the list is the seasonal operation with the MAX 9 between Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC), Alaska, and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Michigan. This seasonal flight operated once weekly from June 14 to August 16, operating a total of ten times between ANC and DTW, and 13 on the return. This covers a total of 2,985 miles (4,776 kilometers) gate-to-gate, and has an approximate flight time of six hours and 20 minutes. For this seasonal service, it will provide a total of 1,780 seats (ANC - DTW), representing a total available seat miles (ASMs) of 5,313,300. The return is marginally more, given the additional services, resulting in 2,985 seats and 6,907,290 ASMs. Flight schedule as below as per the carrier's website: While this route was initially scheduled to be operated by the Boeing 737-900ER (according to Aeroroutes), Alaska Airlines utilized the MAX 9 on the majority of these flights across the 2025 summer travel season. Both Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines operate seasonal services between the two cities. Non-Stop To Costa Rica The second longest nonstop service with the MAX 9 is the Costa Rican connection between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR), also known as Guanacaste Airport, serving Liberia, Costa Rica. This service to the Costa Rican paradise covers a total distance of 2,946 miles (4,713 kilometers), and was served a total of 15 times (SFO-LIR) and 14 (LIR-SFO) in 2025. These flights solidify Alaska Airlines as the largest carrier on the West Coast with services to Latin America. The route was only officially launched in December 2024, running seasonally across the Northern Hemisphere winter period. The flights provide a total of 2,670 seats (SFO-LIR) and 2,492 (LIR-SFO), representing 7,865,000 ASMs and 7,341,000 ASMs, respectively. Schedule as detailed below (please take into consideration that additional frequencies are offered on this route with the Boeing 737 MAX 8): This is the third non-stop service that Alaska Airlines offers to Liberia, with the link operating once weekly from December 21 through to May 10. Additional year-round flights are added from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and seasonal flights from Seattle/Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Other US carriers offering nonstop flights to Liberia include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Southwest, Sun Country Airlines (seasonal), and United Airlines. The airport sees the majority of its traffic during the Northern Hemisphere winter season, as travelers flock to the region for the warmer climate. Bahama-Bound Perhaps one of the most unique routes in the Alaska Airlines network is its seasonal non-stop service between Seattle and Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS). While the route was one of the airline's longest during the Northern Hemisphere winter months, the carrier called quits on the route this year. The Bahamas is a popular tourist destination for its stunning beaches, crystal clear water, and all-year-round warm climate. The route covered a distance of 2,886 miles (4,716 kilometers) gate to gate, and its flight time took around seven and a half hours. The route operated a total of 32 times between Seattle and Nassau, providing a total of 5,696 seats or 16,438,000 ASMs. Its return service operated 34 times with the MAX 9, providing 6,052 available seats, and 17,466,000 ASMs. Alaska Airlines also offered this route direct from Los Angeles International Airport; however, both the West Coast connections have been suspended, with the carrier noting that its decision to cancel the Bahamian services was due to not being able to make the route financially viable. No other airline offers nonstop flights from the US West Coast, meaning travelers are now required to stopover en route through airports such as Dallas, Houston, Miami, or Philadelphia International Airport (this list of options is not exhaustive). From Alaska To Hawaii Anchorage to Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) is the fourth-longest MAX 9 service in Alaska's network. This route covers the total distance of 2,874 miles (4,598 kilometers) and provides a vital link between Alaska and the Aloha State. These seasonal flights are complemented by the carrier's additional year-round service between Anchorage and Honolulu International Airport, and seasonal service to Kahului. The service to Kahului is also included in this analysis in our notable mentions below. The seasonal Anchorage to Kona service will offer a total of 53 southbound (ANC-KOA) and 58 northbound (KOA-ANC) flights with the MAX 9. The total number of available seats is 9,434 (ANC-KOA) and 10,324 (KOA-ANC), which represent a total available seat miles (ASMs) of 27,113,000 (ANC-KOA) and 29,971,000 (KOA-ANC). Flight scheduled as below: This is Alaska Airlines' sole seasonal service to Kona, with other year-round flights offered to Los Angeles International Airport, Portland (OR), San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), and Seattle/Tacoma. No other carrier offers direct flights from Kona to Alaska; however, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines all offer nonstop services to the contiguous United States. Additional international services are also added seasonally with Air Canada (Vancouver) and WestJet (Calgary and Vancouver). Other Notable MAX 9 Services In 2025 Alaska Airlines maintains a year-round connection between Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Anchorage. This year, the airline has scheduled a total of 136 nonstop MAX 9 services on the route, which represent a total of 24,208 available seats and 68,895,000 ASMs. This is the highest detail in this analysis; however, what is worth mentioning is that the return service ORD-ANC has less than a third of these flights recorded by Cirium with the MAX 9. Contrary to the Anchorage-bound service, just 43 flights will operate ANC-ORD, resulting in 7,645 seats and just 21,783,000 ASMs. The total distance gate to gate on this city pair is 2,846 miles (4,553 kilometers). The next longest route is between Seattle and Belize City's Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE). The English-speaking country in Central America is a popular tourist destination, and Alaska Airlines offers seasonal services from SEA. The route covers a total distance of 2,820 miles (4,512 kilometers), with AS offering 48 services southbound (SEA-BZE) and 53 northbound (BZE-SEA) scheduled with the MAX 9. This represents a total of 8,544 and 9,434 seats each way, respectively.
