Alaska Airlines vice-president of capacity planning John Kirby will focus on the carrier’s strengths, as he settles into his new job with the Seattle-based carrier.
“I like to improve and grow route networks, with a focus on the carrier’s core strengths,” he says on the sidelines of the Routes America conference in Denver. “To help create a vision on how Alaska could grow.”
That vision includes focusing on the airline’s core strengths, including its network in the state of Alaska, Seattle and Portland (Oregon), and expanding its relevance across the USA.
“I want to partner with our commercial team to make the Alaska brand more relevant nationally,” says Kirby.
While he declines to provide too many specifics on this strategy, it will include building a “more attractive portfolio of service” to existing destinations, expanding the airline’s codeshare partnerships, and further solidifying its presence in its key markets and focus cities, he says.
Alaska has a well-established focus city in Los Angeles and has built new focus cities in Salt Lake City and San Diego in recent years.
Seattle Tacoma remains the star of Alaska’s near term growth. The airline will add 27 frequencies on existing routes, increasing its schedule to 280 departures at the airport this March. The expansion follows the incursion by Delta Air Lines into many of its core markets.
In addition, Alaska will launch new nonstop service from Seattle Tacoma to both Milwaukee and Oklahoma City; and from Portland to St. Louis with new 76-seat Embraer 175 aircraft on 1 July.
The E175s operated by SkyWest Airlines will allow the carrier to better match capacity to demand and allow it to test new markets without dedicating a mainline aircraft to them, says Kirby.
Alaska anticipates a roughly 8% increase in available seat miles in 2015, with much of that coming from upgauging to 181-seat Boeing 737-900ERs from 144-seat Boeing 737-400s.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
