Alaska Airlines will retire its fleet of Boeing 737-700 aircraft next year, switching over to larger 800 Series planes — providing more passenger and cargo capacity, particularly on Southeast Alaska runs.

Alaska generally uses the 700 on its multi-stop flights through Southeast, such as the morning “milk run” from Seattle to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau and Anchorage, and back again in the afternoon.

The larger Boeing jets are configured for 161 passengers, a 37-seat gain over the 124-passenger 700 Series. The 800 Series is about 20 feet longer and has about 50% more room in its belly for luggage and freight.

“It will be significantly better for Wrangell and Petersburg,” said Scott Habberstad, manager for the airline’s Alaska market.

The 700 Series planes also are used on flights to Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and elsewhere in Alaska.

Wrangell and the rest of Southeast already see the 800 Series some days, mixed in with flights provided by the 700 aircraft. 

The consistent, additional cargo room in the larger aircraft will be helpful for seafood shippers, Habberstad said.

The newer 800 Series aircraft also are outfitted with faster in-flight Wi-Fi service than the older planes.

Alaska flies 11 of the 737-700s, which are the oldest in the fleet at about 25 or 26 years old, Habberstad said.

The company operates a fleet of almost 240 Boeing twin-engine jets. “We’re always bringing on new airplanes,” he said.

The airline will start phasing out the 700s early next year, expecting to finish the retirement by the end of summer, Habberstad reported last week at the annual gathering of the Southeast Conference, a nonprofit organization of regional government, business and community leaders.

The airline will pull from its fleet of almost 60 of the 800 Series aircraft to take over routes from the smaller plane, he said.

The company also operates three all-cargo 700 aircraft, which will not be retired, he said. The all-cargo fleet includes two of the larger 800 Series jets.

Habberstad said the retired Series 700 will likely go south to a warmer and drier climate. “Most will probably go the graveyard,” he said, referring to the yards in Arizona that are home to hundreds of retired commercial aircraft.