Alaska Airlines Brings Regional Jets to Alaska

A little more than two years ago, Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) abandoned an experiment to operate 76-seat turboprops on intrastate routes within Alaska, returning to all-mainline service with Boeing 737s. At the time, the airline said that its regional subsidiary Horizon Air had "struggled to operate cost-effectively in such a remote environment with limited resources."

Now, it is ready to try using smaller planes in its namesake state again. Alaska Airlines said last week that it will introduce the 76-seat Embraer E175 jet on several routes within Alaska in October. This move could open up meaningful opportunities over time for Alaska Airlines to grow and improve its profitability in Alaska, where it faces limited competition.

Image source: Alaska Airlines.

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Source Fool.com