In a year defined by nearly a month-long grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 and the pricey acquisition of leisure carrier Hawaiian Airlines, Seattle-based Alaska Air Group posted a profit of about $400 million. did.
For context, that compares to the airline's $235 million profit for the full year of 2023. The company's latest results include Hawaiian's operations starting Sept. 18.
The parent of Alaska Airlines generated full-year revenue of $11.7 billion, a company record, and posted an annual pretax margin of about 7%, which is expected to be one of the best in the industry, the company disclosed on Jan. 22. ”.
Alaska's year got off to a dramatic start as a door plug blew off the fuselage of an in-flight 737 Max 9 that took off from Portland on January 5, leading to the spontaneous grounding of the entire Max 9 fleet. . time.
Alaska Air Group had a strong first quarter as the Jets were not on duty until early February.
Boeing admitted negligence in the incident that injured several passengers and cost it $162 million in cash in the first quarter, followed by an additional $61 million credit in May.
Last year, Alaska also closed on a $1.9 billion all-stock acquisition in Hawaii, expanding its scope to include Transpacific Flight and its first Wideboard operations.
Alaska plans to “unlock $1 billion in pre-tax profits over the next three years” as part of Alaska's Acceleration Plan, says Chief Executive Officer Ben Minisucci.
The company also seeks to “leverage the strengths of our combined network.”
“We are poised to leverage the strength of our combined global network, strong loyalty program, and our two beloved brands,” said Andrew Harrison, Alaska's chief commercial officer. ”
Alaska projects steady growth in 2025 as full-year capacity, measured in available seat kilometers, is expected to increase 2-3% over last year.
