Alaska Airlines launches first flight from Seattle to Rome

Alaska Airlines launched its first nonstop flight from Seattle to Rome on Tuesday – marking another step in its plan to turn Seattle into a “global gateway” with 12 new intercontinental destinations.

Alaska announced its expansion plans in December 2024 and has since introduced five new global routes from its Seattle-Tacoma International Airport hub. It started nonstop flights to Tokyo Narita in May 2025 and Seoul in September. Next up it plans to launch nonstop flights to London and Reykjavík in May.

The flight to Rome is the first new long-haul route on Alaska’s own fleet of Boeing 787 widebody planes.

The carrier’s earlier long-haul additions – Tokyo and Seoul – launched on widebody planes from Hawaiian Airlines, which Alaska Air Group acquired in 2024. Alaska Air Group now includes Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, regional carrier Horizon Air and ground support company McGee Air Services. The company has said it will maintain two distinct brands for Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines.

To usher in its era of expanded global travel, Alaska introduced a new livery last year to outfit its 787 fleet. The design is inspired by the aurora borealis, with a palette of midnight blues and emerald greens and flowing aura lines, Alaska said at the time.

As travelers prepared to board Alaska’s first nonstop flight to Rome on Tuesday, CEO Ben Minicucci told the crowd he had “been dreaming about this day.” Minicucci’s parents are from Italy and his two brothers, his niece, his son and his partner were all boarding Tuesday’s flight for a family trip to Rome.

Minicucci’s older brother, Leo, said the family planned to visit the Colosseum, the Spanish steps and the Vatican, and then to “eat, eat, eat.” The family is very proud, Leo continued. “This is an exciting time for (Ben) and for the airline.”

Ben Minicucci reiterated that the airline was gearing up to launch more international, nonstop flights from Seattle, and told reporters that the current surge in jet fuel prices wouldn’t slow down Alaska’s expansion plans.

“When we create our vision and our strategy for the future, we understand there’s going to be shocks in the market. For sure, 2026 is a big shock,” he said. “Alaska’s worked hard on building a financial moat. … We will get through this financial fuel crisis. So we’re not going to hold back, and delay implementing our strategy for a short-term impact.”

“When things get back to normal … when normal comes, we want to be able to punch the accelerator,” Minicucci said.

The carrier’s Seattle expansion plans have already sparked competition from Delta Air Lines, which accounts for the second-highest number of flights to and from Sea-Tac, behind just Alaska. Delta is launching its own nonstop flight from Seattle to Rome next month, as well as a new nonstop route to Barcelona.

Asked about the competitor’s moves, Minicucci said he’s “focused on Alaska.” But, “if there’s any airline that can make Seattle work globally, its going to be Alaska.”

Alaska celebrated the first Rome departure with gelato, cannolis and a live DJ greeting guests as they arrived at Sea-Tac airport’s N concourse.

Meanwhile, outside Sea-Tac’s main terminal, flight attendants from regional carrier Horizon Air rallied to call on Alaska management to agree to higher wages.

The flight attendants, organized under the Association of Flight Attendants that is part of the Communication Workers of America union, have been bargaining with Alaska over their next contract since November 2023. With the company’s ongoing international expansion, “it’s time they recognize Horizon Air,” said Lisa Davis Warren, the AFA Horizon president.

As a regional carrier, the Horizon flight attendants are staffing many of the domestic flights that bring travelers to Seattle to then travel to Rome, Warren said.

Alaska Air Group “is soaring, and can’t manage to see these flight attendants have helped them get there,” she continued.

A spokesperson for Alaska said Tuesday “we remain committed to reaching an agreement on a new competitive contract that fairly compensates Horizon Air flight attendants.”

Alaska’s seasonal daily service from Seattle to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport will run through Oct. 23. The first flight left Seattle around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and arrive in Rome around 1:15 p.m. the next day.

On Tuesday morning, a round-trip ticket for a seat in the main cabin on an Alaska Airline’s flight from Seattle to Rome later this month was selling for just under $1,000.