By Youssef Yahya 
Alaska Airlines has officially retired its first-ever Boeing 737-900, a variant that has historically faced lukewarm reception since its introduction in the early 2000s. The aircraft, registered as N305AS, was moved into long-term storage on October 1, according to planespotters.net.
The 737-900’s final flight was from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Marana Pinal Airport (MZJ) in Arizona, home to one of the largest aircraft graveyards in the U.S. This marks the end of its commercial operation, which lasted until as recently as September 30. On its last day, the aircraft completed four itineraries before being retired.
Ch-aviation data indicated that the airframe accumulated 73,336 flight hours (FH) and 29,635 flight cycles (FC) by June 30, 2024, referencing Boeing’s records. This reflects an average annual operation of 3,142.85 flight hours and 1,270 flight cycles, with a daily utilization of 8 hours and 37 minutes.
Alaska Airlines’ 737-900 Fleet
The Boeing 737-900 in question was delivered to Alaska Airlines on May 15, 2001, bearing the manufacturer serial number (MSN) 30013. It was one of three 737-900 aircraft delivered to the airline in May 2001. The other two were registered as N306AS and N307AS. N306AS has also been sent to Marana Pinal Airport for retirement, while N307AS still has flights scheduled through October 6, according to Flightradar24 data.
Alaska Airlines received a total of 13 Boeing 737-900s between 2001 and 2004. Of these, eight are still operational with scheduled flights in the next two days, while the other five have already been retired. The airline has announced plans to phase out the entire 12-aircraft 737-900 fleet by 2025. This timeline was first revealed in Alaska Airlines’ Q2 financial report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Six of these aircraft are scheduled for retirement in 2024, with the remaining six to follow the next year. The airline’s 79 737-900ERs will continue to operate until at least December 31, 2026.
The 737-900: An Unpopular Variant
The Boeing 737-900 has never been a popular variant in the 737 Next Generation (NG) family. Like the 737-600, the 737-900 failed to capture widespread interest compared to its sibling models. Boeing delivered only 52 737-900 aircraft, while other NG family models, such as the 737-700 and 737-800, were much more successful. By the end of the 737NG production run in January 2020, Boeing had delivered 37 737-600s, 980 737-700s (including military versions), and an impressive 4,971 737-800s (including military versions).
The 737-900ER (Extended Range) variant, however, proved to be much more popular than the 737-900. Boeing delivered 505 737-900ER aircraft by the end of the 737NG program, compared to the limited 52 units of the 737-900. The last 737-800s were delivered to China Eastern Airlines in January 2020, marking the official end of Boeing’s 737NG production.
Youssef Yahya is the CEO and Founder of Aviation for Aviators, a platform dedicated to the aviation industry. With over 3 years of experience as an aviation writer, Youssef is passionate about sharing his insights on aviation, entrepreneurship, and the broader business landscape. As a Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship at Nile University, he also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. When he’s not exploring the skies or business ventures, you can find him saying, ‘Drag your coffee, and let’s talk aviation, entrepreneurship, and football.’
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Salma Abdelnasser