Alaska Airlines to buy 50 new planes

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines announced Thursday its biggest aircraft order, the purchase of 50 Boeing jets.

The planes, three versions of the Boeing 737 jets, add to the current fleet of 120 Boeing 737s. But the airline said two-thirds of the new planes will replace aging aircraft.

“This order positions us for growth and ensures that we’ll continue to operate the quietest and most fuel-efficient aircraft available for the foreseeable future,” Alaska Airlines President and Chief Executive Brad Tilden said in a statement.

The price tag for the 50 Boeing jets would normally be $5 billion, but experts say Alaska Airlines is certain to get a discount for buying in bulk. The planes will be delivered between 2015 and 2022.

The airline ordered 20 737 MAX 8s, 17 737 MAX 9s and 13 Next-Generation 737-900ERs, the airline said.

The 737 MAX jets are the fourth generation of the 737 and considered one of the quietest and most fuel-efficient single-aisle planes in the industry.

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Follow Hugo Martin on Twitter at @hugomartin