More than a year after taking delivery of its first Boeing 787-9, Hawaiian Airlines is operating only two 787s and has been informed by the US airframer to expect further delays.
As of 31 December, Hawaiian – acquired by Alaska Airlines parent Alaska Air Group last year – still held unfilled orders for 10 787s.
”Boeing has communicated that certain 737 and 787-9 aircraft are expected to be delivered later than the contracted delivery timing,” Alaska revealed in a recent 10K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Hawaiian took delivery of its first 787-9 in February last year. But its fleet of latest-generation widebodies has since been slow-growing. Now, a revised delivery schedule from Boeing, which is working to boost its ailing airliner production programmes, has caused Alaska Air Group to further adjust expectations.
“This includes 787-9 aircraft contracted for delivery between 2024 and 2026 that have been moved later into the contract or into the year following the contracted delivery,” Alaska says, adding that ”management expects that other Boeing aircraft deliveries could be delayed”.
Now, Alaska expects to take three 787s in 2025, two of the jets next year and four more in 2027.
Alaska Airlines is also expecting narrowbody delivery delays, including 737 Max 9s due for delivery in 2024 that have been pushed into this year, and six 737 Max 8s that were contracted for this year that have been pushed into 2026.
Looking further ahead, Alaska now expects to take three of the uncertificated 737 Max 10 in 2026 and 17 of the type in 2027 and beyond.
Several Boeing customers, including major US carrier Southwest Airlines and Panama’s Copa Airlines, have also been forced to change fleet plans in recent months due to its narrowbody delivery delays.
Alaska says that “production constraints” of Boeing’s 737s and 787s – as well as the US airframer’s roughly eight-week-long machinists’ union strike last year – are challenges that will “continue to impact” delivery schedules moving forward.
”We may not be able to grow our airlines’ fleet at intended rates, which could impact our financial position,” Alaska says.
On the cargo front, Hawaiian now operates six Airbus A330 Freighters it is operating on behalf of Amazon Prime, with a further four of the type expected through year’s end.
