ANCHORAGE, Alaska, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines
today announced plans to build a new $40
million airplane maintenance facility at the site of the
current Signature Flight Support building on Old International
Airport Road. Located on the east side of the Ted Stevens Anchorage
International Airport, the new hangar is located about a half mile
from Alaska's existing
37,500-square-foot facility. The company has hired local architect
firm McCool Carlson Green and general contractor Kiewit to build
the hangar, which is scheduled for completion in the second quarter
of 2018.
"Our existing facility has served us well for many years. As we
grow and add larger planes to our fleet, it's time we upgraded our
northernmost maintenance facility," said Kurt Kinder, Alaska Airlines' vice president of
maintenance and engineering.
"We've made a very conscious decision to hire local companies
that closely align with our values, and the creative design
reflects our brand and company pride as well as the unique needs of
operating the largest airline in the state," said Karen Gruen, Alaska Airlines' vice president of
real estate.
McCool Carlson Green is an
Anchorage-based firm that has
provided aviation, academic, civic, and military design across the
state for more than 40 years. MCG has designed several projects in
Anchorage, including the C
Terminal at the Anchorage Airport, the Mountain View Library and
the Alaska Airlines Center at the University
of Alaska Anchorage.
"The state of Alaska is a
unique part of the country, where aviation is entrenched in our
culture," said Jason Gamache, MCG
principal architect. "Alaska Airlines understands this and the
challenges and needs that face both its employees and the
communities it serves. The new hangar was designed to celebrate
aviation, culture and place, and we look forward to sharing the
design during the groundbreaking soon."
Kiewit has been a permanent fixture in Alaska since before statehood. Over the course
of nearly 70 years, Kiewit has worked on hundreds of projects
across the state for the U.S. military, as well as transportation
and logistics companies.
"Kiewit is proud of our history in Alaska and of the tremendous subcontractors
and talented craft workers of Alaska who have helped us complete many
important projects," said Kiel
Beloy, Kiewit Building Group vice president – Alaska manager. "We are honored to continue
this legacy on the construction of the new Anchorage hangar for Alaska Airlines."
The new hangar in Anchorage is
part of an almost $100 million
investment the airline is making across Alaska, which also includes updating and, in
some cases, expanding the 11 airline-owned terminals throughout the
state. Also included in this figure is an investment by Alaska
Airlines to add three 737-700 freighter aircraft to its fleet,
improving the ability to serve cargo customers' needs with
scheduled freighter service.
"Alaska Airlines provides a vital and unique service in the
state of Alaska, unlike any other
place we fly," said Marilyn Romano,
Alaska Airlines regional vice president – Alaska. "These improvements within the state
will allow us to better serve our communities, business partners
and the people of Alaska for
decades to come."
Alaska Airlines hangar facts
- When complete, Alaska's new
hangar will measure 105,000 square feet, twice as big as
Alaska's existing Anchorage maintenance hangar.
- The new hangar will be able to house two 737-Max 9 aircraft,
which will be the longest/widest plane in the carrier's fleet.
- In addition to the Anchorage
hangar, Alaska Airlines has a maintenance hangar in Seattle.
- Built in 1954, Alaska Airlines' current hangar was originally
owned by Northern Consolidated Airlines. The original hangar was
designed to accommodate Douglas DC-3 aircraft.
Anchorage Hangar Project Timeline
- Design selected - August
2016
- Construction start - Fall 2016
- Construction complete - Spring 2018
Alaska Airlines, which is the largest passenger carrier in the
state with 126 peak season departures, flies to 19 destinations
throughout Alaska. In the next two
months, the airline will continue investing in its airports adding
new, refreshed branding in Anchorage, as well as Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon.
Editor's note: Artistic renderings of the hangar will be
revealed in late August. Download a map of the new location at
http://alaskasworld.com/newsroom/documents/New-Alaska-Airlines-Hangar-Anchorage.pdf.
Caption: Alaska's
current maintenance hangar in Anchorage,
Alaska
Alaska Airlines, together with its regional partners, flies 32
million customers a year to more than 110 cities with an average of
970 daily flights throughout the United
States, including Hawaii,
Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico. With Alaska's 17 global airline partners, customers
can earn and redeem miles to more than 800 destinations worldwide.
Onboard, customers are invited to make the most of their flight
with amenities like power outlets at every seat, streaming
entertainment direct to your device, Wi-Fi and an inspired food and
beverage selection featured on most flights. Alaska Airlines ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in
North America" in the J.D. Power
North American Airline Satisfaction Study for nine consecutive
years from 2008 to 2016. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan also ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards
Programs" in the J.D. Power Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program
Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. Alaska
Airlines is a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK). Learn
more on the airline's newsroom, blog, alaskaair.com, @AlaskaAir,
facebook.com/alaskaairlines and
linkedin.com/company/alaska-airlines.
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines