Crew members hold the airport codes for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, SEA, and Tokyo Narita International Airport, NRT, on Monday ahead of the first Hawaiian Airlines flight from Seattle to Tokyo.
Courtesy of Alaska Airlines
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport celebrated Alaska Airlines’ first intercontinental flight to Narita International Airport on Monday, welcoming another option for travelers to reach Tokyo. The daily connection is operated by Hawaiian Airlines, which Alaska Air Group acquired last year.
The service to Tokyo Narita kicks off a new era of international wide-body flights for Alaska, with 12 destinations out of SEA planned to begin by 2030, according to a news release from the Port of Seattle, which operates the airport. Long-haul flights will initially be on Hawaiian Airlines’ fleet of Airbus A330s and transition to Alaska’s growing fleet of Boeing 787-9s.
“This is a monumental step for our hometown carrier, Alaska Airlines, and a reflection of the commitment of this entire region to international travel and trade,” Port of Seattle Commissioner Ryan Calkins said in the release. “SEA’s position as a global hub is a boon to the Pacific Northwest and provides more choices and opportunities for business and leisure travelers.”
In an Alaska news release, Joe Sprague, Hawaiian’s CEO, noted that Hawaiian has served the Tokyo market for nearly 15 years.
“We’re thrilled to open this new global gateway with Alaska, giving more Pacific Northwest travelers and beyond the opportunity to experience the award-winning hospitality that Hawaiian is known for,” he said.
Travelers out of SEA now have 55 service options to 34 international destinations on 28 different airlines, the port release said. This is the second new nonstop international service to begin this year, after a record-setting eight new nonstop services in 2024. Later this month, Scandinavian Airlines will begin service to Copenhagen, followed by Edelweiss service to Zurich in June, and Alaska’s next wide-body international flight, to Seoul in September.
The flight to Tokyo Narita departs at 1:30 p.m. daily and the return flight departs Tokyo at 6:25 p.m.
AloJapan.com