New Route From Seattle To Keflavik

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As Alaska Airlines continues expanding its long-haul services to Europe, the latest route the carrier has launched is its service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Keflavik International Airport (KEF) in Iceland. What makes this interesting, however, is the fact that the seven-hour flight is operated by the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8, narrowbody aircraft. This makes it the longest 737 service operated by any US carrier, and the second-longest 737-operated route in the world.

The 3,622-mile (5,829 km) service was launched earlier this week on Thursday (May 28), and is scheduled to be operated on a daily basis. The following itinerary is used by the airline:

While the great circle distance remains the same, due to prevailing wind conditions, the flight will be longer when operating its return service flying west.

Alaska Airlines also faces competition on this route from Icelandair, which also utilizes its fleet of 737 aircraft. However, the carrier has a considerably higher capacity share as the airline already operated two daily services, and earlier this month, launched a seasonal third service, which operates six days a week (not operating on Sundays). The seasonal service will run through to the month of September.

Longest 737 Operations For US Carriers

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As stated above, Alaska’s new route to Iceland is the longest 737-operated route for any US carrier currently scheduled. But when evaluating 737 operations based on distance, it becomes clear that Alaska Airlines dominates these services. Data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, indicate that Alaska Airlines is responsible for the three longest 737 routes operated by any US carrier, followed by United Airlines, which operates the fourth and fifth-longest routes.

However, the data also indicates that apart from Alaska’s new route, the remaining four longest 737 services are based in and out of Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in Alaska. The top five routes, along with the route distance and airline serving it, can be found in the interactive map below:

It is worth noting that Alaska Airlines’ services from ANC to JFK and BOS are seasonal (and have been for previous years) and are set to launch in the coming weeks. ANC – JFK is a daily service, which is scheduled to launch on June 9, with 22 rotations scheduled for June. Meanwhile, the ANC – BOS direct service is set to launch on June 13 and will operate once a week on Saturdays, for the remainder of the summer season.

The two United services are also seasonal and are being operated on a daily basis. These services were launched earlier this month, on May 21.

Over 3,700 Miles – The Longest 737 Flight

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The longest 737 route around the world, which is currently operating, is the service operated by GOL, between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Brasilia International Airport (BSB). Using its fleet of 737 MAX 8s, the carrier operates this route, covering 3,778 miles (6,080 km), on a daily basis, with a second service due to launch next week.

That being said, when evaluating the top ten longest 737 routes around the world, the list is entirely dominated by GOL, Icelandair, and Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines’ SEA – KEF route (along with Icelandair) holds the second position, followed by the airline’s aforementioned ANC – JFK and ANC – BOS routes, holding the ninth and tenth positions on the list, respectively.

That being said, with the Boeing 737 MAX 7 expected to be certified soon and enter service shortly thereafter, some new entrants to the list can be expected, considering the MAX 7 variant has a longer range than the MAX 8. Boeing’s technical data indicates the MAX 7 is marketed, stating it can fly 345 miles (555 km) more than the MAX 8. This could potentially open up more opportunities for airlines to operate long-haul flights using these aircraft.