Alaska Airlines’ first Boeing 787-9 has officially been spotted in its new colors. It’s been photographed by speedbirdhd on Instagram and other sources leaving the paint shop at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport in the new Alaska Airlines Aurora livery. The aircraft, N784HA, departed Fort Worth on Tuesday, January 6, and landed in Seattle less than four hours later, where it will remain overnight.

N784HA was originally ordered by Hawaiian Airlines, and it would have been the carrier’s fifth Boeing 787. However, Hawaiian was acquired by Alaska Airlines in 2025. Not only has the airline taken over Hawaiian’s 787 orders, but it will also transfer the 787s currently operated by Hawaiian to Seattle-Tacoma, while Hawaiian’s long-haul services will exclusively use the Airbus A330-200.

The First Alaska Airlines Boeing 787-9

The first Alaska Airlines Boeing 787 has officially been painted in the carrier’s new Aurora livery and ferried to Alaska Airlines. The aircraft, N784HA, is a brand new 787-9 equipped with two General Electric GEnx engines configured wth 300 seats. Rather interestingly, the aircraft was ferried to Boeing Field, rather than Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Reportedly, this is for a press event to be held at Boeng Field on the morning of January 7.

The aircraft is expected to enter service on January 8, from Seattle to Tokyo Narita. This route has seen the Hawaiian Boeing 787-9 since January 6, and previously used the Hawaiian A330-200. The Hawaiian 787 is also currently used to serve Seoul from Seattle, and Alaska Airlines has plans to dramatically expand its long-haul network out of Seattle using Alaska-branded 787s.

While the 787s will feature a new livery, the onboard experience will be virtually the same as today. This is because N784HA will feature the same interiors as the current Hawaiian Boeing 787s. This is made up of 34 suites based on the Elevate Ascent for business class, and 266 seats based on the Collins Aspire for economy, for a total capacity of 300. N784HA will also feature the same finishes as on the Hawaiian 787s.

What To Expect From The Alaska Airlines Boeing 787

As previously mentioned, Alaska Airlines’ 787-9s will feature the same interiors as those operated by Hawaiian. Notably, these aircraft are in a two-class configuration, as neither Alaska nor Hawaiian currently offers premium economy. However, Alaska Airlines has announced that it will retrofit Hawaiian’s Airbus A330-200 fleet with new seats and add a premium economy cabin. This is due to commence in 2028, and the 787-9s will likely also get premium economy once this project is complete.

While the 787s feature large screens and the business class seat is one of the best in the United States, these aircraft notably lack Wi-Fi. Hawaiian’s Airbus A321neo and A330-200 fleets feature free Starlink Wi-Fi, which is widely considered to be the fastest Wi-Fi system in the airline industry, and Alaska will refurbish its entire mainline fleet, as well as its Alaska Horizon regional jets, with Starlink. The Boeing 787s, meanwhile, will receive Starlink in late 2026.

N784HA is the first of 12 new-build Boeing 787-9s that Alaska Airlines will receive. In addition to these 12 aircraft, the carrier will eventually take the four 787-9s currently flown by Hawaiian Airlines, and the carrier has also ordered five Boeing 787-10s, only the second US carrier to do so. This totals 21 Boeing 787s, which will all be based in Seattle.

The Strategy With The Boeing 787s

Hawaiian Airlines’ widebody operations were one of the reasons why Alaska Airlines acquired the brand. It’s facing stiff competition against Delta Air Lines at its main hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and while Alaska Airlines holds the advantage in the domestic market, Delta has an established long-haul network. With 21 Boeing 787s incoming, the carrier can quickly build up a long-haul presence to match Delta.

Alaska Airlines is already selling tickets on routes from Seattle to Tokyo Narita and Seoul (currently operated by Hawaiian 787s). In the future, it will also launch services to London Heathrow and Rome. The carrier will be opening a Boeing 787 pilot base in the spring, and with so many 787s on the way, you can expect a significant build-up in long-haul operations from Seattle beyond what’s been announced so far.