Alaska Airlines is planning a new seasonal international route between Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT), creating the carrier’s first nonstop link to Japan from its namesake state.
The service is scheduled to begin on 13 May 2027 and operate daily through 7 September 2027. Alaska plans to resume the route at a reduced frequency of three flights per week in January 2028. The announcement forms part of a four-route expansion from Anchorage, with the other three services linking the airport with Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and Nashville.
| Carrier | Origin | Destination | Start date | Frequency | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) | Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT) | 13 May 2027 | Daily until 7 September 2027; three times weekly from January 2028 | Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
A transpacific route with a narrowbody aircraft
All four new routes announced for Anchorage will be operated with Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Alaska’s planned Tokyo service will therefore use a single-aisle aircraft rather than the larger twin-aisle planes deployed on the airline’s other transpacific routes.
The aircraft assigned to the routes is configured with 16 domestic first-class seats, 36 extra-legroom seats and 115 standard economy seats. The planned Anchorage–Tokyo operation will connect Alaska’s largest city directly with one of Japan’s principal international gateways.
Four-route Anchorage expansion
Alaska’s wider programme adds three Saturday domestic services from Anchorage. The links to Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Nashville International Airport (BNA) are each scheduled to operate from 12 June 2027 through 7 August 2027, also with Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
- Anchorage–Tokyo Narita: daily from 13 May to 7 September 2027
- Anchorage–Austin: Saturdays from 12 June to 7 August 2027
- Anchorage–Dallas-Fort Worth: Saturdays from 12 June to 7 August 2027
- Anchorage–Nashville: Saturdays from 12 June to 7 August 2027
The Tokyo route is currently a planned service, rather than an inaugurated operation. Alaska Airlines’ announcement places the launch in the 2027 summer season, with the later three-times-weekly pattern scheduled to resume in January 2028. The expansion gives the carrier additional international and domestic links from Anchorage while retaining a common aircraft type across the four routes.
