Alaska Air unveils special 737 painted to honor Boeing's centennial

Alaska Airlines took delivery of a specially painted Boeing 737 on Thursday that’s part of an effort to help Boeing celebrate its 100th anniversary.

The Boeing 737-900ER, officially dubbed "Celebration of Boeing," sports a paint scheme that pays homage to Boeing’s centennial year and to Alaska Air’s long history with the jetmaker.

Included on the jet’s livery are a Boeing logo along with the phrase "100 years strong" painted on both sides of the fuselage. The 737-900ER is the 153rd to join Alaska Airlines’ fleet.

Alaska Airlines’ mainline fleet is an all-Boeing operation, though the carrier’s regional affiliates operate Bombardier and Embraer regional aircraft.

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Beyond Alaska Air’s history of Boeing orders, the two companies also share a connection with Seattle.

Boeing was founded there on July 15, 1916, and remained headquartered there until 2001, when it moved its corporate headquarters to Chicago. Despite that, greater Seattle remains home to tens of thousands of Boeing employees – including those who work on its aircraft assembly lines.

Alaska Airlines moved its headquarters from Alaska to Seattle in the 1950s. In addition to now being home to the airline’s corporate offices, Alaska Airlines operates its busiest hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport – where it also is the largest carrier.

"Boeing is a global aerospace leader and our country's leading exporter, and people throughout the Northwest should be very proud of them," Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden says in a statement. “All of us at Alaska want to congratulate them on their 100th anniversary. We are truly honored to be Boeing's hometown partner, today, and into Boeing's next century."

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