Alaska Airlines retires last DHC-8-400s

On 26 January 2023, Alaska Airlines retired its final five DHC-8-400s, ending its turboprop-era. A special goodbye-flight was carried out by N421QX (4149), which is wearing the Horizon Air retro-livery, the company that operated the DHC-8s within the Alaska Air Group. The five DHC-8-400s have now all been ferried to Portland (OR).

Horizon Air has a long history operating the DHC-8, beginning in December 1985 when it took delivery of its first DHC-8-100. Since then, the airline has operated 108 different DHC-8s; 24 DHC-8-100s, 28 DHC-8-200s and 56 DHC-8-400s. The DHC-8-400 has been in service since January 2001.

The retirement of the DHC-8-400 is part of the Alaska Air Group to standardize its fleet aound the Embraer ERJ175 (operated by Horizon Air and Skywest Airlines) and the Boeing B737. Today, the Alaska Air Group is operating a fleet of ten Airbus A321neos (to be retired this year), fourteen B737-700s, 61 B737-800s, twelve B737-900s, 79 B737-900ERs, 39 B737-9s, and 75 ERJ175s. Of the latter, 33 are operated by Horizon Air, the rest by Skywest Airlines.

Photo by Alaska Airlines.