Alaska Airline's B737-400 Combi

[AK737FO]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE​

July 14, 2004
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ALASKA AIRLINES TO RETROFIT 737-400 AIRCRAFT TO PROVIDE BETTER PASSENGER AND CARGO SERVICE TO THE STATE OF ALASKA
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SEATTLE—Alaska Airlines today reaffirmed its commitment to serving the cargo and passenger needs of the state of Alaska by inking a $15 million contract to retrofit five of its 737-400 aircraft to carry cargo and passengers.
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"We’ve been looking for a replacement for our 737-200s for some time now," said George Bagley, Alaska’s executive vice president of operations. "Retrofitting our existing, newer 737-400s makes sense from a cost standpoint and will actually increase our freight and passenger capacity in Alaska."
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Four of the carrier’s 737-400s will be converted to a fixed 70 passenger/four pallet configuration. One aircraft will be retrofitted to full cargo configuration. Once completed, the retrofitted aircraft will replace the airline’s retiring 737-200 fleet—long the workhorse of the carrier’s unique passenger and cargo operations to rural communities in Alaska. In addition, the airline is currently weighing several options to replace the capacity of the five 737-400s that will be converted.
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The conversions of the 737-400s will result in an upgrade of service, as the converted aircraft will carry more passengers and cargo. Bagley noted that the 737-400s are half the age of the carrier’s 737-200s, thus less costly to maintain. Additionally the -400s consume about 30 percent less fuel and already are equipped with Alaska’s state-of-the-art RNP flight guidance technology, which allows pilots to precisely guide aircraft during periods of low visibility.
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The retrofitting work, to begin in April 2005 for completion in early 2007, will be coordinated by InterContinental Aircraft Services (ICAS) of Taiwan for a team including Flight Structures Inc., Marysville, Washington, a unit of B/E Aerospace, Inc., and the Boeing Company. Flight Structures will do the engineering work. Boeing will provide post-conversion engineering support.
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Alaska Airlines and sister carrier Horizon Air serve more than 80 cities in Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom on the Internet at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com.

 

[N8Dogg]

Are they gonna retrofit them with the gravel kit as well? They currently fly the 200s in and out of gravel runways. Pretty cool stuff.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

Are they gonna put skids on the 737? Now that would be somin.

 

[AK737FO]

End of gravel ops

The only gravel runway we go to now is the Red Dog zinc mine, north of Kotz. Rumor has it, the runway will be paved in the next few years.

Hoovers (fans) don't do gravel. The B737-200, affectionately known as the "Mud Hen", will be the last of the gravel birds for Alaska Airlines.

The anti-fod probe on the front of the JT8D-17A is kind of cool, but the one thing I will not miss is the gravel kit nose gear, known as the "sled" or "ski". The "sled" restricts landing gear extention to 180 knots, so if you find yourself high and fast you can't throw the gear (see previous thread on speed brakes).

I will miss landing a jet on gravel. I've got to admit, there is just something cool about it.

 

[Mooseflyer]

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The retrofitting work, to begin in April 2005 for completion in early 2007, will be coordinated by InterContinental Aircraft Services (ICAS) of Taiwan​

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Jeez, looks like even our aircraft come out of Taiwan now!! LOL... ​

 

[ILStoMinimums]

So are you -200 guys slowly starting to move over to the -4,-7 and -9?

 

[mach none]

There was a bid that was effective 7/1/2004 that opened a -400 base in ANC. It split the -200 and the new -400 base in almost half. A few guys did get displaced to SEA. Now the company will most likely increase the size of the ANC base on the next bid. How much is anyones guess. We did win the Postal contract in SE AK and the DOT reaffirmed our service to Adak. The Postal contract will be shifted over to the ANC base at the end of August or the beginning to September with a -200 coming out of retirement.

The ANC guys probably know more rumors than the rest of us on the outside.

So are you -200 guys slowly starting to move over to the -4,-7 and -9?

 

[mar]

It's the little things...

All I know, as an occasional non-rever, is that the in-state pax will really appreciate the overhead space on the new combis.

Interesting to hear about the permanent seat installation though. I always had to chuckle at the sight of a pallet with chairs fastened to them.

 

[inline]

The only gravel runway we go to now is the Red Dog zinc mine, north of Kotz. Rumor has it, the runway will be paved in the next few years.

Hoovers (fans) don't do gravel. The B737-200, affectionately known as the "Mud Hen", will be the last of the gravel birds for Alaska Airlines.

The anti-fod probe on the front of the JT8D-17A is kind of cool, but the one thing I will not miss is the gravel kit nose gear, known as the "sled" or "ski". The "sled" restricts landing gear extention to 180 knots, so if you find yourself high and fast you can't throw the gear (see previous thread on speed brakes).

I will miss landing a jet on gravel. I've got to admit, there is just something cool about it.

Some operators who flew the 200s with a gravel kit got around the problem of the low landing gear extension speed by extending the mains only via the manual release lanyards, then the nose once you got your speed. And the FAA bought off on it. It wasn't used very often.

 

[flx757]

Some operators who flew the 200s with a gravel kit got around the problem of the low landing gear extension speed by extending the mains only via the manual release lanyards, then the nose once you got your speed. And the FAA bought off on it. It wasn't used very often.

At the two companies which I worked where we flew the gravel equipped -200s, this was a strictly prohibited procedure. Sure, there were guys that used that "techinique" because they got themselves into a bind...but no one "bought off on it". In fact, it was rare to "get away with it", and most wound up paying some sort of price.